Former President Barack Obama sought to transfer the energy of his political movement to Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally on Thursday night outside Atlanta — their first joint appearance of the campaign — as he tried to help propel her over the finish line.
“Together, we have a chance to choose a new generation of leadership in this country,” Mr. Obama told a crowd of 23,000 people at a high school football stadium in Clarkston, Ga. “And start building a better and stronger and fairer and more hopeful America.”
When Ms. Harris took the stage, he lifted up her arm like a prizefighter in celebration. She quickly seemed to try to adopt his mantle, leading the audience, the largest she has drawn since becoming the Democratic nominee, in a chant of “Yes, we can,” Mr. Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan.
“Millions of Americans were energized and inspired not only by Barack Obama’s message but by how he leads,” Ms. Harris said after he ceded the lectern to her. “Seeking to unite rather than separate us.”
This year, the Harris campaign is hoping to use the power of the party’s most popular politicians and major celebrities to energize its base voters. Mr. Obama and Ms. Harris were joined on Thursday by the rocker Bruce Springsteen, who played a three-song set with guitar and harmonica before she spoke, accusing Mr. Trump of running to be an “American tyrant.” On Friday night in Houston, Ms. Harris is set to appear with Beyoncé, one of the world’s most popular musicians. On Saturday, she will rally with Michelle Obama in Michigan.
he breadth of Ms. Harris’s celebrity entertainers on Thursday spoke to the coalition she is trying to build. There was Mr. Springsteen, who is especially beloved by older, white Americans; the actor and comedian Tyler Perry, who is popular with Black women and gave an impassioned speech about growing up in poverty; and prominent Black entertainers including Spike Lee and Samuel L. Jackson, who proudly noted to the crowd that he and Ms. Harris share a favorite curse word.
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