Electric rallies in Ohio and Georgia by the former president strengthen the close for local candidates.



Former US president Barack Obama mocked Donald Trump’s “whole of government” response to his critique of his successor’s gilded White House renovations as he rallied Democrats in the final week of the US midterm election campaign.

“These are not serious people,” Obama said of Trump and the Republican party at a campaign rally in suburban Atlanta on Wednesday evening. “And we’re all paying the price for their lack of seriousness.”

Trump (80) and his allies have repeatedly responded in recent days to Obama’s suggestion at the weekend that the president’s changes have left the White House “looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory”.

At a rally of his own on Wednesday in Ohio, Trump insisted that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was now “more beautiful and in better shape”, and claimed Obama “doesn’t understand cleanliness” or “broken, cracked stone and sidewalk”.

Obama, for his part, seems unperturbed by such attacks. “They mobilized a whole-of-government response to that joke—not to inflation, but to that joke,” he told the crowd on Wednesday. “The Saddam Hussein thing didn’t bother him. But he was very upset about the Cheesecake Factory.”

“The White House even called the secretary of the treasury,” the former president continued, referring to how Scott Bessent dined at the chain earlier this week, and spoke to a reporter outside. “The guy who is trying to figure out how to lower inflation … they told him he should hold a press conference in front of the Cheesecake Factory.”

Obama also rebuffed Republicans’ accusations of snobbery for referencing the popular chain restaurant. “I am the father of two daughters,” Obama said. “Do you think I could have survived their childhood without going to the Cheesecake Factory? (... That was my jam for about a decade.)”



But he turned that discussion to the problems of affordability for American voters, in contrast with the corruption of the presidency.

“We have never seen a president so intent on selling favors,” Obama said. “The guy has made billions of dollars while in office. Understand that this has not been done in modern times.”

Obama came to Georgia to support the campaigns of Senator Jon Ossoff, former Atlanta mayor and gubernatorial hopeful Keisha Lance Bottoms, and an array of down-ballot Democrats as part of his cross-country campaign tour before next week’s election. Between 3,500 and 4,000 people filled the Discovery Center of Clayton county for the late election season stop, just south of Atlanta.



The construction of a new ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House featured in the comments of many speakers at Wednesday’s rally, including Ossoff.

“Each day, Donald Trump digs the moral pit deeper,” Ossoff said, accusing the president of leading “the most corrupt administration of all time, and everybody knows it”.

“If you’re involved in any of this, next year you’ll be raising your hand to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” Ossoff said, in reference to Democrats pledging to impeach Trump if they take control of Congress next year.

The crowd chanted “Lock him up!” in response.
....
The Rev Raphael Warnock... warned of “spiritual wickedness in high places” while describing the effects of deep cuts to Medicaid and Snap nutrition support for children.

“This is about the character of the country,” Warnock said. “This is about who we are and whether we are here for one another… I am concerned about the spiritual health of our country. There is brokenness, because only a broken nation could manage to elect Donald Trump twice.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...jon-ossoff

With a U.S. Senate seat, the governor’s mansion and a slew of other statewide races on the ballot, former President Barack Obama visited Georgia Wednesday to fire up supporters to elect a slate of Democrats and send a message to the White House.

The former president joined U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is up for reelection, and Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, in a jam-packed arena in Morrow, which is just south of Atlanta.

The rally also featured other Democratic candidates running for statewide office, including state Rep. Tanya Miller, who is running for attorney general, Penny Brown Reynolds, who is running for secretary of state, and state Sen. Josh McLaurin, who is running for lieutenant governor.



Already, 2.2 million Georgians have cast a ballot as of Wednesday, with just two more days to vote early. Election Day is Tuesday.

At the rally, Obama railed against President Donald Trump, describing the previous “two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence” under the Trump administration and Republicans. He said that voters are “so ready for something new” and that “it feels like change is in the air.”

“I don’t have to tell you how tough things are out there. You’re living it,” Obama said.

Obama argued that many voters who helped get Trump elected in 2024 were frustrated with post-pandemic inflation and thought that he might turn things around, but instead, Obama said that prices have continued to go up because of Trump policies. He pointed to Trump’s tariffs that have destabilized long-standing trade agreements and the war in Iran that he described as “an unnecessary war that nobody asked for and nobody voted for.”

“These are not serious people, and we’re all paying a price for their lack of seriousness,” Obama said.

But Obama ended his speech on a positive and optimistic note, saying that “this election can be a start” of change.
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The rally had the hallmarks of a celebration. In between speakers, Clark Atlanta University’s marching band the Mighty Marching Panthers and artist Janelle Monae performed, and at other times, rally goers danced and sang along to loud music as if they were in a concert.

Nell Robison, a 44-year-old actor who attended the rally with his family, said he was excited to show his sons the importance of casting their vote.

“I wanted them to see our first Black president, and I want them to understand how important politics is, not just at the presidential level, but also at the governor level, senate level, things like that,” he said.

Obama’s endorsement of Ossoff and Bottoms, he added, would likely serve to energize Georgia voters in the midterms. “Whoever that man supports, they get a strong turnout,” he said. “Just the fact that he’s putting his name on the line for these people shows a lot, and a lot of people came out here for him.”
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https://georgiarecorder.com/2026/10/29/o...inds-down/


Ohio

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I refused to raise kids to be anything except democrats. Something went horribly wrong with you know who up there ^.

obama is a POS

Lol, Dems have failed to realize Obama is the reason they got Trump in the first place.

(10-30-2026 07:59 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Lol, Dems have failed to realize Obama is the reason they got Trump in the first place.

and the reason "healthcare" is a problem in America. It always amazes me when Democrats run on "healthcare". Didn't they already fix that. "We have to pass the bill to see what's in it".
30 years from now nobody will remember Obama's presidency. He has no accomplishments, other than to screw up health insurance in America.

(10-30-2026 05:32 AM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  

I love that song. Whatever happened to that group? One hit wonders?

I saw them at the Midsouth coliseum once upon a time.

(10-30-2026 08:23 AM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  I saw them at the Midsouth coliseum once upon a time.

So I looked them up to see what happened with them. Search results:

Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show shortened their name to Dr. Hook in 1975, continued touring and releasing hits through the early 1980s, and officially disbanded in 1985.

Key Timeline & Member Updates

• The Rolling Stone Cover (1973): After releasing their hit song, the band actually appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (Issue RS131) on March 29, 1973, with the headline "What's-Their-Name-Make-The-Cover".

• Breakup (1985): The group split up in 1985 after a successful run of 1970s and early '80s hits like "Sylvia's Mother," "Sharing the Night Together," and "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman".

• Ray Sawyer (Passed Away 2019): The eye-patch-wearing co-lead singer left the band in 1981 for a solo career and later toured with a spin-off act before passing away on January 1, 2019, at age 81.

• Billy Francis (Passed Away 2010): The band's keyboardist passed away on May 23, 2010.

• Dennis Locorriere (Passed Away 2026): The primary lead singer and co-founder—who owned the Dr. Hook trademark and continued performing solo and touring under the name—died on May 16, 2026, at age 76.

That's a lot more interesting than the OP. Did he really need the eye patch I always wondered or was it part of the act.

(10-30-2026 08:45 AM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  That's a lot more interesting than the OP. Did he really need the eye patch I always wondered or was it part of the act.

Good question. I have no idea.

(10-30-2026 06:04 AM)450bench Wrote:  obama is a POS

This is really all that needed to be said. Awful president for sure

Complete speech in Atlanta.

Obama isn't president anymore, Gitanole.

He can believe he is, and you can believe it to, but he's not.

Also, we right wingers know Atlanta is a leftwing city. We've known that for years.

We're not as stupid as you and Tom like to imagine we are.

(10-30-2026 09:00 AM)MemTigers1998 Wrote:  

(10-30-2026 06:04 AM)450bench Wrote:  obama is a POS

This is really all that needed to be said. Awful president for sure

He never should have been elected.

This nation wasn't ready for a black president.

If one had been elected 100 years after the Civil Rights movement, then maybe.

But, there were too many race hustlers looking for vengeance for the assassinations of MLK Jr. and Malcom X, and they used mentally retarded guilt ridden white liberals to do it.

(10-30-2026 02:35 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  Obama isn't president anymore, Gitanole.

He can believe he is, and you can believe it to, but he's not.

Also, we right wingers know Atlanta is a leftwing city. We've known that for years.

We're not as stupid as you and Tom like to imagine we are.

They don’t care. That party has been taken over by a brood of vipers and has therefore become a den of thieves.

(10-30-2026 02:44 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  

(10-30-2026 02:35 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  Obama isn't president anymore, Gitanole.

He can believe he is, and you can believe it to, but he's not.

Also, we right wingers know Atlanta is a leftwing city. We've known that for years.

We're not as stupid as you and Tom like to imagine we are.

They don’t care. That party has been taken over by a brood of vipers and has therefore become a den of thieves.

I know, GC.

Going all born Christian on them isn't going to help either.

Like you said, they simply don't care.

Don't save them. Let them rot.

(10-30-2026 02:46 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  

(10-30-2026 02:44 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  

(10-30-2026 02:35 PM)BirdHawkEagle Wrote:  Obama isn't president anymore, Gitanole.

He can believe he is, and you can believe it to, but he's not.

Also, we right wingers know Atlanta is a leftwing city. We've known that for years.

We're not as stupid as you and Tom like to imagine we are.

They don’t care. That party has been taken over by a brood of vipers and has therefore become a den of thieves.

I know, GC.

Going all born Christian on them isn't going to help either.

Like you said, they simply don't care.

Don't save them. Let them rot.

Well, at some point, it makes no sense for one to cast pearls before swine. But one who doesn’t know they’ve heard the Good News must also preach to them as if they’ve never been told.