For all his protestations to the contrary, Joe Biden really wanted Barack Obama’s support during the primary.

Obama could have basically played kingmaker for the Democrats and cleared the way for Biden during this primary. Instead, Obama decided to lend advice to all the candidates who wanted to talk to him, if they would come and kiss his ring.

Not every declared candidate has met with Obama—Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard were notable no-shows—but he let it be known he was available to anyone seeking advice. As a rule of thumb, the closer one is to Obama personally, the less important the West End summit is. Joe Biden, one of only two candidates who Obama knows at a familial, rather than strictly professional level, was an “exception,” said an Obama adviser, who had a rolling series of conversations about 2020, the most recent of which was backstage at the funeral for Elijah Cummings in Baltimore on October 25. Deval Patrick, a close Obama pal and board member at the Obama Foundation who parachuted into the race last week, checked in with a phone call before announcing.

For the others—Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Beto O’Rourke, Steve Bullock, and more—the meeting was as important as planning their kickoff rally or first campaign ad. Obama’s lair is more Restoration Hardware than Oval Office: lots of dark wood (his desk and an enormous mirror behind it), bronze accents (the bookcases), and neutral upholstery in a seating area. Obama is discreet with his guests. He knows how a stray comment could leak and change the course of the race.

Two things that make me want to vomit in those above paragraphs:
1) the press is never never never never never going to get over their Obama worship, and
2) Obama continues to be supremely arrogant in his post-presidential life.

How do we know this? Apparently, none of the current crop of candidates measures up to what Obama wants in a Democrat candidate. Not even ol’ Joe, who has wrapped himself so tightly in the “Obama legacy” that his eye burst a blood vessel onstage.

Biden himself, to the cameras, has been very philosophical about needing to “earn” the nomination himself, without Obama’s help. (How quickly we forget that if Biden had entered the 2016 race to face off against Hillary, Obama would have done exactly the same thing and endorsed neither of them – and Hillary would have gone knives out at Joe.) But apparently some in the Biden campaign are getting upset. You see, what they want isn’t an endorsement – they want Obama to clear Joe of any ethical issues regarding Ukraine.

Biden world wants Obama to speak up on Ukraine:

“there’s frustration when Joe Biden and Hunter Biden get attacked by Republicans on the Ukrainian thing … and Obama doesn't say anything. The Biden people ask, ‘Why won’t Obama say something?’” https://t.co/ISpuvXPHLx

— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) November 26, 2019

I can think of a LOT of reasons why Obama wants to steer clear of anything related to Ukraine right now, including clearing up any issues for Biden.

First, everyone knows that Hunter Biden has been living off his daddy’s name for his entire adult life. He made a load of money in Ukraine, “sitting” on the board of Burisma, simply because of his last name. Add to that Hunter’s continued drug use and personal ethics, and he pretty much hangs like an albatross around the neck of his father’s campaign. Obama must know that absolutely nothing good for him would come out of speaking up for Joe and Hunter. And Obama, ever the politician, won’t do a thing unless there is a way he can benefit from it.

Second, so long as impeachment continues to move forward in the House, Biden is still in hot water. Why? If Donald Trump is impeached by the Democrat-controlled House, the trial is held in the Republican-controlled Senate. All those witnesses that Republicans wanted to testify, that Adam Schiff shot down? They will be there in a Senate trial. And Hunter Biden’s name is going to be on that list. Hunter has already proven that he’s a fool, and between documents and a good prosecutor, he could end up absolutely torpedoing his own father. He might not implicate Joe in anything, but he definitely would proving that Joe’s judgment is garbage when it comes to making sure his son is protected and has a golden parachute. You don’t think the rest of the primary field would be cutting commercials, with Hunter’s public testimony, to be played on a loop in Iowa and New Hampshire immediately? There is no way Obama wants any part of that.

Finally, Obama wants to maintain his ethereal, godlike image of being “above it all.” He’s used that image to great effect for his entire political career. If he threw his support behind Biden now, he loses whatever influence he might have over the other candidates. And there is nothing that Obama loves more than being sought out for his influence. His ego is just as large as Donald Trump’s; he just never took to Twitter to display it. Instead, Obama used the loyal press to relay just how very, very disappointed he was with all of us, and to talk about just how wonderful his presidency was.

Obama will support whomever the Democrat nominee is, but after watching Hillary Clinton fall flat on her face, he’s going to be a lot more choosy this time around. And if the candidates come to grovel at his feet and beg for guidance, so much the better. Despite his loyalty and constant praise, Biden will not get any special treatment from his hero.

Featured image: Barack Obama and Joe Biden, February 3, 2010, official White House photo by Pete Souza, government work in the public domain