The age difference between Kamala Harris and Barack Obama is only three years and two months. But while Harris has yet to fight for the highest step in her political career by entering the White House, Obama has turned his back on politics for years.
Unlike his Democratic predecessors Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, since his term ended in January 2017, Obama has taken up some international mediation missions or other political posts. Instead, the 55-year-old political retiree decided to devote more time to his family, and especially to his two daughters, Malia and Sasha, who were then 18 and 15 years old.
The two have long since left the family home in Washington, and since 2019 their parents have been living either in their home in the American capital or in their mansion on the luxurious island of Martha's Vineyard. It is from there that they still remain important players behind the scenes - for example, in the withdrawal from the election campaign of President Joe Biden, who was Obama's vice president for eight years.
Obama and Harris
Barack Obama and Kamala Harris have known each other since his presidency. From 2011 to 2017, Harris was the attorney general of the state of California and provided political support to the president. Then Obama described her as one of the best US attorneys general.
The speeches of Michelle and Barack Obama at the Democratic party forums should give new momentum to Harris' campaign – she and her running mate Tim Waltz are cashing in on the popularity of the Obamas. And Obama's support reached one of its peaks with his exclamation "Yes, she can!", resembling his famous motto "Yes, we can!" since 2008
Michelle Obama also gave an emotional speech for Harris and Waltz. Ever since her time as First Lady, she has continued to inspire admiration both in the United States and around the world. She is constantly mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for the presidency, but she also constantly denies the possibility.
The Political Legacy of Barack Obama
Barack Obama sharply criticized many of the decisions of his successor, Donald Trump. But outside of the presidential election campaign, he rarely takes a stand on current issues. He seeks to maintain his political legacy through the Obama Foundation, which he established during his presidency.
The goal of this organization is to prepare the next generation of political leaders in the United States. She also helped build an Obama museum in Chicago - the political homeland of the former president, where he began his career.
These days, Obama continues to attract the attention of the American public with his speeches and publications: he has over 130 million followers on the X platform, and on Instagram – over 36 million. He currently uses these channels to support Harris, otherwise his posts are mostly on global topics – such as the fight against climate change, democracy and social justice.
Highly Paid Speaker
Barack Obama comes from a relatively modest family. His presidential pension after the end of the term is 240 thousand dollars a year. But he earns much more with podcasts, as a book author and most of all – as a speaker. Depending on the topic and the audience, his fees for one speech are between 200 and 400 thousand dollars. Obama often speaks to audiences in Europe.
In the spring of 2023, for example, he gave a speech in Berlin to 17,000 spectators about “the great challenges and opportunities of our time”. Tickets cost between 60 and 600 euros, and for 2,500 euros the attendees could also take a picture with the former American president.
Memoirs and Podcasts
Michelle and Barack Obama are also authors of international bestsellers, with which they have also earned quite a bit. In his book "Promised Land" (also published in Bulgarian) Barack Obama describes his rise in politics and his first term in the White House. A sequel is also planned.
Michelle Obama released her memoir "My Story" back in November 2018. (also published in Bulgarian), in which she openly talks about her life, the challenges she faced, and her time in the White House.
Barack Obama has many friends in show business – like Bruce Springsteen, with whom they did a podcast together a few years ago. According to the media, royalties for this podcast were in the millions. And Michelle Obama has also authored numerous podcasts since leaving the White House.
Author: Andreas Knoll