After two terms in Obama’s shadow, Biden sometimes tried to differentiate himself from his predecessor, especially in foreign policy. And Obama knew he was leaving Biden room to rule as his own man. While Obama has spoken occasionally to Biden over the past year, their phone conversations have been rare, according to people close to both men, and they have only seen each other a few times in the last 15 months – despite the fact that Obama was just 10 minutes away from the White House in Washington. In public, everyone wants to play a warm friendship that developed during the Obama presidency. Biden often omits a reference to “Barak” in his remarks, repeating a piece of advice or an inner joke they shared. Sometimes the results are a bit painful: On “Best Friends Day” of 2019, Biden shared a picture with friendship bracelets with “Joe” and “Barak” written in beads. When Obama visits the White House on Tuesday, he will go with Biden for lunch in addition to the health care event at the Rose Garden. Obama and Biden dined together each week while serving in the White House. “They are real friends, not just friends of Washington,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday. “I’m sure they will talk about world events as well as their families and personal lives.” He said it was “just the right time” for Obama to return to the White House after more than five years. However, there were limits to their friendship. Biden revealed last year that he had been invited to Obama’s private residence only once every eight years with them in the White House. They have very different personalities and work styles. And their relationship has been colored by various misconceptions, real or perceived, that still remain. Obama refused to back Biden against the other Democrats in the 2020 primary, a move that both men insisted was necessary to allow for a real confrontation within the party. Four years earlier, Obama had seen Hillary Clinton as his Democratic successor instead of Biden, who decided not to run as he faced the death of his son. All this makes Tuesday’s event an important moment for any man. For Obama, it also marks the beginning of a series of public events, including a keynote address on the misinformation he will deliver at Stanford later this month.

His return to the White House is the first sign that many Democrats are hoping for increased turnout in the 2022 midterm elections. Former President and former First Lady Michelle Obama is two of the most sought-after party leaders – expected to are in high demand by the Senate and Parliament candidates this year. This could possibly be in contrast to Biden, whose turnout remains near historically low during the campaign period. Biden is eager to campaign for the Democrats next year, but has also made it known that he is open to any role his party sees as useful. Obama is no stranger to uphill battles. suffered losses in both 2010 and 2014. However, he resigned with the highest acceptance rating for any outgoing president, and remains popular with Democrats. Obama has not yet determined how visible he intends to be in the fall campaign, but aides say they will both devote time to Democrats’ efforts to maintain control of the House and Senate. The decision to show Obama on Biden’s side in the White House this week was designed to shed light on one of the Biden administration’s often overlooked achievements: strengthening the Affordable Care Act. It is reminiscent of former President Bill Clinton who came to the White House to explain the financial efforts that Obama used during the fiscal crisis in the first years of his term. This appearance in 2010 was remembered mainly because Clinton held the court from the podium for half an hour – long after Obama left the courtroom. The health care law remains one of the Obama administration’s permanent legacies. When he passed, Biden made one of his most notorious aspects when he whispered to Obama that it was a “big deal for the king.” It is no small irony that the messy fight for health care – one of the main reasons Democrats lost control of Congress under Obama’s watch more than a decade ago – has resulted in a law that is now widely regarded. popular with Americans. Republicans have abandoned all efforts to remove it and replace it after not doing so for years. Obama has remained committed to the law since stepping down, filming videos encouraging Americans to sign up and breaking the near-silence on political issues to criticize Republicans for trying to undermine him. He and Biden appeared together in a video last August encouraging Americans to sign up, one of the only joint appearances since Biden took office. “We will cover even more people in the coming years under your guidance,” Obama told Biden in the video. “I love you, man.” Signing, as Obama told Biden he was proud of him, the incumbent President said he expected him to stay in touch. “I’ll call you for advice,” Biden said. Obama’s visit to the White House on Tuesday will not be his last. Plans have been under way for months for the official unveiling of his portrait – a presidential ceremony that was interrupted during the Trump administration and delayed during the first year of the Biden administration when the Covid-19 pandemic restricted such events at the White House.