Former Obama adviser endorses Hillary

Former Obama senior adviser and campaign manager David Plouffe endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Saturday, saying he has come around to believing she would be the best person to carry on Obama’s legacy. 

“We’ve come a long way. Still, eight years after that historic night in Des Moines, there’s so much left to do. And Americans still need a president who will wake up every day, prepared to overcome any obstacle on their behalf,” he said in an op-ed on Medium.  

{mosads}”Hillary Clinton should  —  and I believe will  —  be that president,” he added. 

Plouffe said he would “never have imagined writing this piece” during the most intense days of the 2008 primary, when Obama faced Clinton, and said the feeling must have felt mutual. 

However, he said, he and “many of my fellow Obama campaign veterans” have learned more about Clinton, noting her performance during Thursday’s day-long Benghazi hearing, which she emerged from without any big gaffes. 

“She doesn’t quit. And there were times I wish she had! But you have to deeply admire that strength and persistence,” Plouffe wrote. “She will fight to further economic policies that put economic opportunity for those in the middle class and those fighting to join it.”

“You won’t find anyone in this race more determined than Hillary to make sure every single American has a fair shot to live up to their potential,” he added.

“And you won’t find anyone more prepared, more diligent, with more detailed plans for exactly how to make it happen —  from removing costs as a barrier to college to raising incomes and making sure all Americans have the skills they need to get a good job,” he said. 

Plouffe’s support comes after Vice President Joe Biden announced earlier this week that he would not wage a bid for the presidency. Biden supporters had argued the vice president would best carry on Obama’s legacy. 

Although Clinton is the front-runner, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has also proven a viable contender, running on a “Democratic Socialist” platform that appeals to middle- and working-class Americans. 

“She’s the right person to protect President Obama’s legacy on health care and so much else. The woman who helped create the CHIP program, which covers 8 million kids, won’t stop until affordable health care is recognized as a basic human right in America,” Plouffe argued. 

“She’ll enhance Social Security and strengthen Medicare. She’ll continue President Obama’s reforms to make sure Wall Street works for Main Street, not the other way around. She’ll make sure America continues to lead the world in the 21st century,” he said. 

Plouffe said Clinton, like Obama, would also make history, as the first female president. 

“Hillary Clinton will not just make an outstanding and worthy successor to President Obama. She will be a president we should all look back on, and be proud we did whatever we could to make it so. She will do big and important things,” he said. 

Plouffe also called the stakes in the election “enormous.” 

“The difference between Hillary Clinton and a President Trump, Carson, or Rubio could not be more profound,” he said. 

“Once again, we need a leader who understands the challenges we face  —  and someone who can and will do something about it. Hillary is that leader, for this time.”