Former U.S. President Barack Obama has officially endorsed Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Florida. The timing of the endorsement sparked mixed reactions, however, as even some seemingly liberal-leaning Florida voters were not entirely impressed that it came so late in the race.
As reported by Politico, Obama recently released a short video praising Nixon. In it, he said that both he and Nixon started out as organizers and that he believed real change came only when people fought for “what is right.”
He also cited the fight for a $15 minimum wage and the effort to give people the freedom to read whatever they want, while other politicians promote censorship, as reasons to vote for the Democrat.
Nixon reportedly said that the endorsement “meant a lot” to her and expressed hope that it would provide her with more momentum in the final stages of the race.
Floridians Think Obama’s Endorsement Came Too Late
While the overall reaction to the endorsement was fairly positive on r/Florida, one concern that particularly irked Floridians commenting on the thread was why it had taken so long. One person wrote: “Why do this when early voting has already gone on for 5 days and not like, a few days before?” Someone else complained: “Took his sweet [expletive] time to do it.”
Others agreed with the sentiment: “I wish he would’ve done this sooner, but I guess better late than never. Now if only the rest of the Democratic Party could get the memo and stop fighting tooth and nail against progressives. I swear, most of them are so far to the right at this point that they would’ve been Republicans in the ’70s and ’80s.”
Some Floridians, however, did not believe the late timing of the endorsement mattered as much, arguing that many undecided voters had yet to cast their ballots: “Those early voters aren’t likely to get convinced by Obama… They know who they support. This is about getting people to come out who otherwise would sit at home.”
It remains to be seen how effective the endorsement will be. As one user put it, “I don’t really think Obama has the influence he once had. But we will see in ten days.” Many people in the thread were hopeful, in any case, with one saying: “Florida desperately needs a change. I’m willing to give her a chance.”
Recent polls show Republican Ashley Moody leading Nixon by around 4%, but Obama was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Florida, so the race remains largely undecided.
