Former President Barack Obama Electrifies Packed Ohio Venue In Support Of The State’s Senate, Gubernatorial Candidates: Obama Says “Basic Decency” Now Missing From The Nation’s Politics, Reminds Voters He Kept Nukes From Iran Without War

Former President Barack Obama delivered both a rousing campaign and get-out-the-vote speech and a blistering critique of the modern Republican Party and the current White House administration on Saturday, telling a packed crowd in Ohio that “basic standards of decency” have vanished from the political arena.

Hitting the trail for candidates days ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, Obama sought to bolster Democrats in a state that has trended increasingly conservative over the past decade: The former president is the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state and he carried it in both 2008 and 2012. Since then, Ohio has shifted strongly to the right in both state and federal elections.

The popular former commander-in-chief wrapped up his electrifying and in-depth speech by jointly sharing the stage with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dr. Amy Acton and former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, who is seeking a return to the Upper Chamber of Congress.

President Obama framed their races as essential battles for the character of the nation.

A Sharp Rebuke over Campaign Tactics

The centerpiece of Obama’s address was a direct assault on the campaign tactics of Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The Ramaswamy campaign recently drew widespread condemnation for airing a controversial television advertisement that featured the estranged mother of Dr. Acton, who at age 12 was removed from the custody of her mother after years of reported sexual abuse by her stepfather.

Dr. Acton has not seen her mother since 1978.

Ramaswamy’s critics, including his fellow Republicans, have accused the Republican’s campaign of weaponizing Acton’s childhood trauma for political gain.

Obama did not hold back in his assessment of the ad, or of the broader party leadership that allowed it to stand. In his remarks, Obama called Ramaswamy “thirsty” and someone who was “willing to do anything.”

“I don’t know what’s happened where the standards of behavior have gotten so low that someone can run an ad like that. There’s got to be something inside you where you say no office is worth stooping that low,” he said.

Unloading on the War with Iran

Turning his attention from domestic rhetoric to foreign policy, the former president launched a searing attack on Donald Trump’s administration over the ongoing war in Iran, which began with military strikes in late February.

“Iran didn’t have nuclear weapons”, Obama said to cheers, pointing out his successful agreement that prevented a U.S.-Iranian conflict during his 8 years in office. “Because I’d put a deal in place that everybody acknowledged kept them from getting nukes, and I didn’t have to fire a missile do it. I just had to engage in diplomacy”.

Obama then pointed out a U.S. casualty toll that includes more than a dozen Americans killed and hundreds injured in a war that is now 8 months old.

Obama then labeled the Trump administration and the current War Department secretary as “not serious people” who started an unnecessary conflict that ordinary Americans are now paying for.

Economic Critique and White House Humor

While the tone was largely urgent, Obama used his trademark rhetorical style to pivot toward economic issues, taking aim at Donald Trump’s record on the cost of living.

He criticized the Trump administration for failing to lower consumer costs, arguing that the former president’s priorities were misplaced. Obama joked that Trump seemed more focused on “home renovation” than governing, pointing to the addition of a helipad and a ballroom to the White House complex.

“He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama quipped, drawing massive laughter from the Cleveland audience. “Just gold everywhere”, Obama said, then added, “He’s clearly not focused on lowering prices for you.

Obama then pointed out a growing list of conflict of interest controversies surrounding an administration that many Democrats have labeled corrupt.

High Stakes in a Shifting State

The high-profile rally underscores the critical importance of Ohio in the upcoming midterms. Once the nation’s premier bellwether, the state has become a difficult terrain for Democrats in recent cycles.

By sending its most formidable surrogate to Cleveland, the Democratic Party is signaling that it views the November 3 election as necessary and winnable for the party: Recent polls show Brown with a small leader over incumbent Republican senator Jon Husted that is within the margin of error; similar polling shows Dr. Acton with an average 6 point lead over Ramaswamy.