The Obamas return to their hometown to get Democrats fired up for Harris

CHICAGO — He once forged his political career here, but on Tuesday, President Barack Obama returned to his hometown to play the role of elder statesman.

“It’s good to be home!” Obama opened to an almost deafening reception at the United Center. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling fired up!”

The nostalgic reference to Obama’s well-known chant “Fired up! Ready to go!” brought another roar.

As the closer for the night, immediately following his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, he weaved nuts-and-bolts Democratic principles along with what he saw as a road map for the party. He paid tribute to Joe Biden, his former vice president — one of the few speakers to do so Tuesday night — and said making that pick was one of the best decisions he had made.

He called for Americans to spurn divisiveness that grows into blind hatred of one another. Obama made the case for Kamala Harris, ticking through her accomplishments as attorney general of California, then as vice president, saying she helped take on drug companies and the high price of insulin and helped lower health care costs.

At the same time, Obama took shots at former President Donald Trump, including chiding him for having “this weird obsession with crowd sizes,” gesturing with his hands in a way to indicate something small. It was one of his biggest laugh lines of the night.

“We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos,” Obama said to cheers. “We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.”

Obama also had kind words for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris' running mate.

“I love this guy. Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics,” Obama said. “You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don’t come from some political consultant. They come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff.”

Gwen Walz, the governor's wife, then showed up on the big video screen in the arena, gesturing that she wholeheartedly agreed.

Obama spun out other lines that won big laughs.

“The other day, I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day,” Obama said to laughs. "Now, from a neighbor, that’s exhausting. The truth is, Donald Trump sees power as nothing more than a means to his ends."

In a statement to NBC News, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said, "More personal attacks from washed up Democrats because they don’t have any real solutions for the problems everyday Americans face. This is why Kamala and Democrats will lose in November — they’re more interested in personal grievances than in helping people."

In his speech Tuesday night, Obama also pushed for the U.S. to be a “force for good” in the world.

“We shouldn’t be the world’s policeman,” Obama said. “We can’t eradicate every cruelty and injustice in the world, but America can be, and must be, a force for good: discouraging conflict, fighting disease, promoting human rights, protecting the planet from climate change.”

Jim Messina, who managed Obama’s second run for the White House, said Obama’s role Tuesday was to help put this political time in perspective.

“Tonight’s really about him becoming the explainer-in-chief to explain this moment,” he told NBC News. “People forget he was the first to realize Kamala was going to be a star. When she was the attorney general, he said to all of us: ‘Watch the attorney general in California; she’s really good.’”

Harris has turned Biden’s old campaign on its head. Since the president stepped aside on July 21, Harris’ campaign has raised an eye-popping amount: nearly $500 million.

“I mean, that’s insane, and it shows the grassroots enthusiasm,” Messina said, also referring to the massive crowd for Harris in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Asked whether this moment for Harris was reminiscent of the 2008 magic that Obama wielded over voters, Messina said there’s room to grow. He said the Harris campaign had yet to ascend to the next level and really become “a movement.”

“We’re not there yet,” he said.