After Kamala Harris secured the Democratic presidential nomination in a historic upset within the party, she got some advice from former President Barack Obama: You have all the campaigning talent at your disposal; you can hire whoever you want.
Within days, Obama's former campaign manager David Plouffe and other prominent members of Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaign efforts had joined her fledgling campaign.
"He just wanted to let her know that he's in a position to recruit whoever he sees fit," a source familiar with the conversation between Obama and Harris told Reuters.
Democrats rallied behind Harris as opinion polls began to swing in the party's favor, but as recently as a month ago, some openly questioned whether she was the right choice to defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump after President Joe Biden was forced to withdraw from the race after a shaky performance in the debate.
Obama waited several days before endorsing Harris, planning to stay on the sidelines in the event of a competitive nomination process. When it became clear that there would be no significant challengers, he got involved.
Former Obama advisers, including Plof and 2012 deputy campaign manager Stefani Kater, quickly joined the Kamala Harris campaign, cementing the former president's influence and underscoring his power within the Democratic Party.
Obama, 63, who was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last night, has known Harris, 59, for two decades, aides said. They first met at a fundraising event in California in 2004.
"She's one of his first supporters, and he's one of her first fans, there's no doubt about that," said David Axelrod, Obama's longtime adviser.
Both worked their way up in local politics, she as a prosecutor and he as a community organizer and senator, before entering the United States Senate. Both are firsts in history - he as the first black president of the United States, and she as the first woman, black, and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.
Harris was an early supporter of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign when she served as San Francisco's district attorney, appearing at his campaign launch in Springfield, Illinois.
He respected her work in California, finding her determined, but caused a stir in 2013 when he called her “by far the most beautiful attorney general in the country” at a fundraising event they both attended.
Later he called her to apologize.
Obama supported Biden's choice of Harris for vice president, a source from the Democratic Party told Reuters. They have been in regular contact since the 2020 election, their associates said. The former president and his wife Mišel had dinner with Harisova and her husband Dag Emhof several times.
"She is one of his first supporters, and he is one of her first fans, there is no doubt about that," said David Axelrod, Obama's longtime adviser, for the British agency.
The Democrats' decision not to launch a competitive nomination process after Biden withdrew appears to have caught the former president by surprise.
"Even though you called for an open process and ... the Democrats ... started an open process, people seem to feel strongly that you should be our nominee," Obama said in a phone conversation with Harris, according to a transcript released from his cabinet.
Her campaign team released a video of the Obamas congratulating her, which was viewed by millions of people.
One of Kamala Haris's associates said that the former president now approaches her with advice on his own initiative, which, according to the associates, is welcome, even if she does not always accept such advice. Harris spoke with Obama during the process of selecting a candidate for vice president, the associate added.
"He offered to support her campaign in every possible way - including political and strategic advice, fundraising and of course participation in the campaign to gather votes," said another Obama aide.
Echoes of Obama have been evident at Harris rallies since she became the Democratic standard bearer, drawing thousands.
"They are very different political figures, but the euphoria that arose around her is very familiar to those of us who were there in 2008," said Džamal Simons, a former advisor to Harisova.
Obama's campaign was filled with themes of hope and change; the Harris campaign, with Tim Volz as its running mate, is pumping energy into promoting joy.
An associate of Harisova said that she was satisfied that both Barak and Michelle Obama spoke at the convention. Michelle Obama, who in 2016 urged Democrats to "maintain dignity" when Republicans used political punches below the belt, is extremely popular in the party, and polls show she would have significant support for a presidential bid if she expressed a desire to launch one. She didn't do it.
Meanwhile, former President Obama remains an almost mythical figure among Democrats.
His eight-year presidency is viewed with nostalgia, and his cultural status - he still publishes music playlists and recommends books to read, seven years after leaving the White House - makes him very relevant among young people in the party's voter base.
Obama's influence on Harris grew at the same time as his relationship with Biden, his former vice president, became increasingly complicated.
Along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Obama is seen as the driving force behind the party revolt that forced Biden to retire after his disastrous performance in a debate against Trump in late June.
Obama aides say he was merely advising the president.
A White House official acknowledged that Biden was upset by those who wanted him to drop out of the race, but said he is now confident in his decision and will work with Obama to ensure Trump is defeated in November.
Obama and Biden have had many ups and downs. Some in Biden's circle believe that Obama endorsed Hillary Clinton as the 2016 presidential candidate, rather than Biden, who was considering a run even while grieving for his son Bo. Obama gave a speech at Bo Biden's funeral.
"You can love and be sympathetic to someone, and still have that relationship be complicated," said a Democrat who knows both Biden and Obama.
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