What Obama chose not to do about George Clooney's essay speaks louder than any words could: 'Eye-popping revelation'

Former President Barack Obama reportedly did not stop Hollywood icon George Clooney from going public with his call for President Joe Biden to step aside as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.

On Wednesday, Clooney published a candid essay in the New York Times urging Biden to step aside, a decision Clooney said is necessary to "save democracy."

'The Biden campaign and many Democratic officials do believe that Barack Obama is quietly working behind the scenes to orchestrate this.'

"It's devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate," Clooney wrote.

It's big news that Clooney — a major Democratic Party donor — wants Biden to stand down. But it's even bigger news that Obama reportedly did not stop Clooney from going public with his concerns.

According to Politico's Playbook, Clooney reached out to Obama to give him a "heads-up" that he wanted to share his concerns about Biden and his belief that Democrats are better off if Biden steps aside.

Obama could have asked Clooney to remain silent — but that's not the path he chose.

"While Obama did not encourage or advise Clooney to say what he said, he also didn’t object to it, we’re told from people familiar with their exchange," Politico reported.

"The lack of pushback is an eye-popping revelation," Politico explained, because Obama is one of Biden's chief defenders — at least in public. Obama even defended Biden after his disastrous debate performance last month, advancing the White House talking point that Biden simply experienced a "bad night."

Clooney's essay — and Obama's apparent decision not to intervene — is yet more evidence of deep cracks within the Democratic Party's ranks.

Not only are an increasing number of rank-and-file Democrats calling on Biden to step aside, but now even Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), one of the party's most influential leaders, is breaking away from Biden.

Sources told Politico that, privately, Pelosi has said she doesn't think Biden can defeat Donald Trump on Election Day. Moreover, Pelosi is reportedly encouraging Democrats in swing districts to do what they believe will best secure their chances at re-election, even if it means publicly opposing Biden's candidacy.

The fear is that Biden's liabilities will hurt down-ballot Democrats, blocking them from re-taking the House majority.

For his part, Biden told Democrats this week that he is committed to running for re-election.

"I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Trump," Biden told congressional Democrats in a letter.

Meanwhile, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a close friend of Biden, claimed Thursday that Obama's decision not to intervene is consistent with what he is allegedly doing behind the scenes.

"The Biden campaign and many Democratic officials do believe that Barack Obama is quietly working behind the scenes to orchestrate this," Scarborough said.

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