Presidents Assemble Obama And Clinton Give Biden Boost

For once showbusiness royalty - Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Lea Michele and Mindy Kaling was not the main attraction. Instead it was a trio of US presidents that enticed people to pay up to half a million dollars for New York's hottest ticket.

- David Smith

Last month Joe Biden was joined onstage by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama at a sold-out Radio City Music Hall. At more than $26m, it was the most successful political fundraising event in history. It was also an "Avengers assemble" moment for Democrats seeking to bury their differences ahead of November's presidential election.

Obama, 62, remains the Democratic party's biggest star with books, media appearances, civil society work, plans for a presidential library and campaign speeches each electoral cycle. Clinton, 77, by contrast, saw his stock plummet when Democrats moved left on policy and embraced the #MeToo movement.

But analysts believe both men could prove powerful surrogates for Biden as he seeks to emulate them by winning a second term. Tara Setmayer, a senior adviser to the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, said: "We're going to see a lot more of Obama during this election. He's the best surrogate for President Biden for the constituencies that he needs to shore up: Black voters, young voters, the Democratic coalition.