Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the presidency against Republican rival Donald Trump received a major boost this week.
On Tuseday the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced they wouldn’t be filing any charges against Hillary Clinton in relation to the former Secretary of State’s use of a personal email system during her tenure as chief diplomat.
With that question answered, and with Bernie Sanders vanquished as her Democratic challenger, the air was finally clear for President Obama to hit the campaign trail and stump in support for Clinton.
In a campaign event in North Carolina, a charismatic, relaxed, wise-cracking Obama stole the show – a possibly awkward contrast to Clinton’s more stilted performance.
President Barack Obama was at ease as he enjoyed himself during a 40 minute speech for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Source: Chuck Burton, AP Photo
“I am not a natural politician, in case you haven’t noticed, like my husband or President Obama," Clinton said at a debate in March.
"I have said before and it won't surprise anybody to hear me say it, this is not easy for me."
But for his part, Obama couldn’t have looked more relaxed – mock crying when Clinton mentioned his daughter’s 18th birthday and miming wiping sweat from his brow when she mentioned their 2008 primary battle.
Like her husband in 1993, Clinton framed her pitch with the economy, focussing on jobs, economic inequality and higher wages. The presumptive nominee also took aim at student debt, the gender pay gap and Wall Street tax evasion.
President Barack Obama pretends to wipe away tears as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks about Malia Obama graduating college. Source: AP
The majority of the pair’s appearance, however, was given over to the guest star, who spoke for 40 minutes.
The president was at ease roasting Trump, although he was careful not to mention his name.
“Everybody can tweet,” President Obama said.
“But nobody actually knows what it takes to do the job until you’ve sat behind the desk.”
He came back to the jibe later in his speech.
“We were in a hole before I came into office, but right now, the world — the rest of the world thinks we’re pretty darn great,” he said.
“That’s a fact - that’s not like just something I just made up and tweeted.”
Clinton wasn’t completely without humor however; she introduced President Obama as a friend, and threw a jibe at Trump at the same time.
White House hopeful Donald Trump posts frequently on twitter. Source: AAP
“I’ve also known him as a friend that I was honoured to stand with – in the good times and the hard times – someone who has never forgotten where he came from,” she said.
“And Donald, if you’re out there tweeting, it’s Hawaii,” she said, in reference to the ‘birther’ movement, a group of citizens boosted by Donald Trump who dispute that Barack Obama was born in the United States.
Experience was a major part of the president’s pitch for Clinton to succeeded him. No one has ever been more qualified, he said of the former First Lady, Senator from New York and Secretary of State.
That drew a stark contrast with rival Trump, the president said.
“Even the Republicans on the other side don’t really know what the guy is talking about,” President Obama said.
“They really don’t. You ask them, they’re all like, I don’t know. And then they kind of duck the other way.
“Am I joking? No.
“Sometimes we act as if never having done something and not knowing what you’re doing is a virtue.
"We don’t do that, by the way, for airline pilots. We don’t do that for surgeons.
"But somehow we think the President of the United States, let’s just get — I don’t know, who’s that guy? Come on.”
Full Campaign Event:
Share
