Obama tweets support for Canadian PM Trudeau in reelection campaign

[webfact]

Obama tweets support for Canadian PM Trudeau in reelection campaign

By Moira Warburton

 

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former U.S. President Barack Obama meet at Big Rig brewery in Kanata, Ontario, Canada May 31, 2019. Adam Scott/Prime Minister's Office/Handout via REUTERS

 

(Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday voiced his support for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who faces a tough battle for reelection next week.

 

"I was proud to work with Justin Trudeau as President," Obama said in a tweet. "He's a hard-working, effective leader who takes on big issues like climate change. The world needs his progressive leadership now, and I hope our neighbours to the north support him for another term."

 

The two progressive leaders formed a close friendship which continues to be a popular topic on social media several years after Obama left the White House. They were spotted having dinner together at an Ottawa restaurant earlier this year.

 

Trudeau was the first Canadian prime minister the United States honoured with a state dinner in almost two decades, when Obama invited him and his wife to Washington in March 2016 after the prime minister won power the previous October.

 

The Canadian leader faces a much tougher fight this time, and polls strongly suggest he will lose his majority in parliament after the Oct 21 election.

 

This is not the first time Obama has endorsed a foreign leader. He tweeted his support for Emmanuel Macron ahead of France's 2017 presidential election.

The American embassy in Ottawa declined to comment on the endorsement on the grounds that Obama is a private citizen.

 

The Liberals, the Conservatives and the New Democrats - the three main parties contesting the vote - did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

Elections Canada, the country's nonpartisan elections administrator, said Obama's tweet did not contravene regulations on foreign interference.

 

"It's free speech. The only issue would be if Mr. Obama started to spend money on Mr. Trudeau's campaign," spokesman Pierre Cadieux said by phone.

 

(Additional reporting by Kelsey Johnson in Ottawa; Editing by David Gregorio)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-17

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[pegman]

Trump should now endorse Conservative Party leader Scheer. Scheer's father grew up in a Jewish New York City family like Trump's son-in-law. Thing is Obama is loved in Canada. Meanwhile  a pollster did a survey of Canadians last year where The Bern beat Trump 81%-19%. 

[khwaibah]

They are eyeing that marijuana in the can. ????

[TopDeadSenter]

I find this story very hard to believe. We have all seen recently how terrible the democrats consider any interference into foreign countries elections. Obama could no way be such a rank hypocrite.

 Maybe he could tweet some support for sleepy Joe Biden, his ex vice president for all those years. That would be more appropriate.

[grumbleweed]

Why the hell can't they keep their interfering noses out of other countries' business.. The world doesn't want to listen to their self serving opinions.

They squeal like stuck pigs when others interfere with their elections

 

 

[mamypoko]

8 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

I find this story very hard to believe. We have all seen recently how terrible the democrats consider any interference into foreign countries elections. Obama could no way be such a rank hypocrite.

 Maybe he could tweet some support for sleepy Joe Biden, his ex vice president for all those years. That would be more appropriate.

Did I spell private citizen correctly? 

[bristolboy]

8 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

I find this story very hard to believe. We have all seen recently how terrible the democrats consider any interference into foreign countries elections. Obama could no way be such a rank hypocrite.

 Maybe he could tweet some support for sleepy Joe Biden, his ex vice president for all those years. That would be more appropriate.

What's typical of the right wing is conflating on open and honest expression of support with activities like hacking and spreading lies via social media and labeling it all as "interference".

[blazes]

I wonder if Obama asked little Justin if he was still playing "black faces".

 

Wasn't this the Yankee president who interfered in the Brexit campaign by telling the poor Brits that if they voted to Leave they would move to the back of the queue when it came to getting an economic agreement with Uncle Sam....?

[stevenl]

19 minutes ago, grumbleweed said:

Why the hell can't they keep their interfering noses out of other countries' business.. The world doesn't want to listen to their self serving opinions.

They squeal like stuck pigs when others interfere with their elections

 

 

Ah, so you can give your opinion but another private citizen can not. Maybe your opinion in this is more related to your political ideas?

[Tug]

I’d certainly prefer Obama’s recommendation over trumps 

[DoctorG]

19 minutes ago, Tug said:

I’d certainly prefer Obama’s recommendation over trumps 

My guess is that you will receive neither. ????

[DoctorG]

Poor old Joe is still waiting for the golden Obama shoulder-tap.

[pegman]

58 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

I find this story very hard to believe. We have all seen recently how terrible the democrats consider any interference into foreign countries elections. Obama could no way be such a rank hypocrite.

 Maybe he could tweet some support for sleepy Joe Biden, his ex vice president for all those years. That would be more appropriate.

Obama is an honest guy so it is unlikely he would lie and say something positive about Old Slow Joe. Unless it was along the lines of having done a good job protecting his white flank. 

 

I think I can speak for most progressive Canadians in saying we hope Trump gets goated into tweeting support for Scheer.

[grumbleweed]

25 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Ah, so you can give your opinion but another private citizen can not. Maybe your opinion in this is more related to your political ideas?

I wouldn't exactly call a former president of the USA a private citizen. Although I would say I credit Canadians with more intelligence than to act on his advice.

As for you suggesting I may be a Trump supporter. In one respect yes I am, but only for the reasons Putin put him there in the first place. To hasten the demise of US hegemony, Highlight the USA for what it is, and show the world they cannot be relied upon in any way shape or form.

Oh, and there's also Trump's entertainment value

[stevenl]

6 minutes ago, grumbleweed said:

I wouldn't exactly call a former president of the USA a private citizen. Although I would say I credit Canadians with more intelligence than to act on his advice.

As for you suggesting I may be a Trump supporter. In one respect yes I am, but only for the reasons Putin put him there in the first place. To hasten the demise of US hegemony, Highlight the USA for what it is, and show the world they cannot be relied upon in any way shape or form.

Oh, and there's also Trump's entertainment value

Of course he is a private citizen.

You not wanting to call him that shows you endorse the US administration theories on facts.

[canuckamuck]

Bad reporting not to mention who is who in the photo?

[grumbleweed]

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Of course he is a private citizen.

You not wanting to call him that shows you endorse the US administration theories on facts.

As I'm a life long socialist who considers even the US democrats to be too far right for comfort, I think you maybe barking......up the wrong tree

I've explained why I support Trump, and that's for the damage he's doing to the USA

[Jingthing]

I'm a private U. S. citizen and I support Trudeau too eh.

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[pegman]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I'm a private U. S. citizen and I support Trudeau too eh.

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As does a former USA ambassador to Canada who also just tweeted his support for Trudeau. Obama is a superstar in Canada and may just move some young people to vote Liberal Party rather than how they were starting to lean like NDP, Bloc or Greens. The bigger affect would be Trump tweeting support for the Conservative Party which would tank them for sure. Here's hoping!

 

https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/election-2019/obama-weighs-in-on-federal-election-urges-canadians-to-vote-trudeau

[blazes]

4 minutes ago, pegman said:

As does a former USA ambassador to Canada who also just tweeted his support for Trudeau. Obama is a superstar in Canada and may just move some young people to vote Liberal Party rather than how they were starting to lean like NDP, Bloc or Greens. The bigger affect would be Trump tweeting support for the Conservative Party which would tank them for sure. Here's hoping!

 

https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/election-2019/obama-weighs-in-on-federal-election-urges-canadians-to-vote-trudeau

I love this assumption that ANY American president (Obama and/or Trump) would affect a Canadian election positively.

I wish we could put money on it (not to mention measure it), but I would wager $100 that most Canadians are insulted when an American politician attempts to support some Canuck prime minister.

For example, the much loved (???) Reagan had a very close and matey relationship with the wily corrupt Mulroney, but it was a friendship that was counted against the Canadian when the election came around.

[stevenl]

56 minutes ago, grumbleweed said:

As I'm a life long socialist who considers even the US democrats to be too far right for comfort, I think you maybe barking......up the wrong tree

I've explained why I support Trump, and that's for the damage he's doing to the USA

Well, it would be helpful if you were to simply say that Obama is a private citizen.

[Prairieboy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Barack Obama on Wednesday voiced his support for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Couldn't this be construed as foreign interference in  Canadian election - as Trump would call it, collusion!

 

[Prairieboy]

1 hour ago, blazes said:

I would wager $100 that most Canadians are insulted when an American politician attempts to support some Canuck prime minister.

I, for one, am insulted!

[Jingthing]

Couldn't this be construed as foreign interference in  Canadian election - as Trump would call it, collusion!
 

No.

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[Sujo]

14 minutes ago, Prairieboy said:

Couldn't this be construed as foreign interference in  Canadian election - as Trump would call it, collusion!

 

No, but your lack of logic could be construed that you are a trump supporter.

[pegman]

15 minutes ago, Prairieboy said:

I, for one, am insulted!

I'm not, so I cancel you out. I'll be insulted if Trump doesn't jump in  too and endorses Scheer.

[canuckamuck]

Connections to American politics have never impressed the Canadian voter.

But America has never had so many high profile socialists before either. 

Sadly, this will not hurt Trudeau's image for most of them. I mean if a lifetime of blackface gags didn't hurt him, he could probably get away with campaigning in a Stalin mask. 

[pegman]

2 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Connections to American politics have never impressed the Canadian voter.

But America has never had so many high profile socialists before either. 

Sadly, this will not hurt Trudeau's image for most of them. I mean if a lifetime of blackface gags didn't hurt him, he could probably get away with campaigning in a Stalin mask. 

We don't call him Teflon Trudeau for nothing.

[Pedrogaz]

Why is Obama allowed to use social media to meddle in the Canadian election?

[Jingthing]

Why is Obama allowed to use social media to meddle in the Canadian election?

It's not meddling. It's free speech.

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