Biden's Limited Campaign Presence as Obama and Harris Increase Efforts for Democrats

<p>Former President Joe Biden has been largely absent from the campaign trail as Democrats work to regain House and Senate majorities in November. Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris are increasing their efforts to support party candidates.</p><p>Biden, 83, has maintained a limited public schedule while dealing with advanced, metastatic prostate cancer. He has endorsed candidates and is assisting Democrats with fundraising, according to a source in Biden's political circle. However, he has made few political appearances this year.</p><p>The difference in visibility is notable with four weeks remaining until Election Day.</p><p>Obama is producing advertisements for Senate and gubernatorial candidates, aiding the party's fundraising efforts, and preparing to campaign during the final stretch of the midterm elections. Harris, the Democrats' 2024 presidential nominee, is also campaigning in key battleground states, including a recent visit to Michigan with Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.</p><p>Biden has participated in only a few political events this year, including a speech in February at a reception celebrating his 2020 South Carolina primary victory and an address at a Maryland Democratic Party event in June.</p><p>Democratic strategist Michael Ceraso expressed concern among some party elites and fundraisers that Biden's presence at events could be a liability. In contrast, veteran strategist Maria Cardona noted that many Americans still support Biden.</p><p>Biden has endorsed candidates in several Democratic primary races, including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor, who won the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and Dan Koh, who secured the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District.</p><p>Biden has also emphasized the importance of voting, stating on social media, "American democracy begins and ends at the ballot box. There is no more important civic duty nor fundamental right to be defended."</p><p>Additionally, Biden has been positioned as a counterpoint to former President Donald Trump, who he defeated in the 2020 election. Trump and Republicans have criticized Biden for high gas prices, despite polls indicating that many Americans attribute the issues to Trump's administration.</p><p>Biden's approval ratings were low as he left office, with a 42% approval and 57% disapproval in January 2025, according to a Fox News poll. Post-presidency, he held a 71% favorable rating among Democrats in a CNN poll conducted in May, although this was 25 points lower than Obama's rating.</p><p>Some Democrats attribute Trump's 2024 re-election bid to Biden's decision to remain in the race, suggesting that he did not exit in time for Harris to mount a successful campaign.</p><p>Ceraso noted that Biden has left a "bad taste with some Democrats, especially within the party's elite and fundraising class," and expressed doubts about Biden's charisma compared to Harris and Obama. He stated that he would not organize an event around Biden to attract large crowds.</p><p>Cardona mentioned that Biden's health is limiting requests for his appearances on the campaign trail, asserting, "I guarantee you no one would try to bother him to come campaign for them while, at 83 years old, he is battling cancer and in the toughest fight of his life."</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to a Biden spokesman for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.</p>