Obama remains Dem headliner while president with most votes ever fades into background: 'It was all a dream'

By Fox News · Fox News

President Barack Obama has been at the center of Democrats’ biggest political fights, from redistricting fights to last year’s gubernatorial races, while former President Joe Biden — despite winning more votes than any presidential candidate in history — has remained largely absent from many of the party’s biggest political battles since leaving office. "We went through an election in Virginia that the Democrats invested a lot of money in, and we did not see Joe Biden once to the best of my recollection," Virginia GOP Chair Jeff Ryer told Fox News Digital, referring to Obama’s heavy campaigning for the Democrat-backed redistricting referendum later struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court. "We did, on the other hand, see Barack Obama on television ad after television ad, during the Democrats’ $80 million campaign, he was clearly the leader of it." Biden’s absence from several major Democratic campaigns has fueled Republican claims that Democrats are quietly moving on from the former president. "Joe Biden is becoming like the ninth season of ‘Dallas.’ It was all a dream," Ryer said, referring to the infamous retcon of CBS’ hit show "Dallas," in which the events of Season 9 were revealed to have never happened. FORMER CLINTON CAMPAIGN MANAGER LAMENTS 'LEADERLESS' STATE OF DEMS AS BIDEN REMAINS 'OFF THE RADAR' For many Democratic strategists, Obama’s prominent role reflects a broader belief that he remains far more popular and politically valuable than Biden, even ten years after exiting public office. "I think there's a lot of nostalgia for the Obama presidency ," Democratic strategist Andrea Riccio told Fox News Digital. "I do think there's a once in a generation excitement around him that just hasn't been replicated by other presidents, so I can understand why he's sought after right now." Riccio said Democrats are likely still reeling from their 2024 presidential election loss, and with the Democratic Party still lacking a clear leader, "Obama is one of the best…