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Get Ready For Obama 2.0

by Cate Carrejo
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According to former Attorney General Eric Holder, former president Barack Obama's about to make his political comeback. At a press junket on Wednesday, Holder said that Obama is "ready to roll" on new plans to support the Democratic party, presumably through — and potentially longer than — the 2020 presidential election. Get ready for Obama 2.0, the hero America needs to counter-balance Donald Trump.

Holder is the chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a recently formed, non-governmental political group that is seeking to reverse the effects of gerrymandering in the 2021 redistricting process. The unfair drawing of voting districts is one of the primary causes of Republican strongholds in both the state and national legislatures, so creating a more equal distribution of votes could significantly benefit the Democrats beyond 2021.

Working to dissolve that intentional imbalance of power could be one of the most useful ways Obama could spend his post-presidency political careers. However, Obama will also be well-suited to join campaign activities before that, since the 2018 midterm and 2020 general elections could decide Trump's political legacy.

Hopefully, Obama's long beach break was the restful remedy he needed to tackle Trump's regime. The Obamas spent several weeks hanging out with entrepreneur Richard Branson on his private island in the British Virgin Islands, before making a stealthy reappearance in the United States last week. He definitely deserved the break, but those who have been hyperventilating the last six weeks of Trump's presidency will be pretty happy to have him back. Hillary Clinton's general retreat from public life since the election has left the party feeling lost and in need of guidance, which Obama might be able to provide.

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Few presidents have had particularly active political careers after their terms in office, but Obama's successor has changed countless political norms. Before he had even left office (but after the election), Obama announced that he was planning to open up an office in Washington, D.C., which wasn't unprecedented but still a little unusual. Given all that Trump has done in his term so far, Obama seems to be increasing his initially planned involvement and have an unprecedented role in the Democratic party for a past president.

Obama clearly still cares about making sure the country is headed in a progressive direction, because even though he's served his time, he's coming back for more. Obama had one of the most difficult presidencies in American history, yet he's still returning to contribute what he can during this tricky political moment. Even if you recognize the flaws in his administration, his return to politics is a noble use of his post-presidential time.