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Article snippet: When MORE in his launch video. But his former boss loomed large throughout the day. In an Instagram post announcing his candidacy, Team Biden posted a photo of the former vice president with his arm around Obama. On Biden’s website, the campaign highlighted how close their relationship was: “A running mate becomes a friend for life.” Allies also noted that Biden had brought to his campaign former Obama aide Anita Dunn to help steer his communications shop. “The band is back together,” one ally said. Another ally pointed to Biden’s support from Obama mega-donor Jeffrey Katzenberg, who signed on to co-chair an upcoming fundraiser. “Fired up. Ready for Joe,” Stef Feldman, a Biden policy adviser, tweeted Thursday, an echo of the Obama campaign’s “Fired up. Ready to go,” slogan in 2008. The Obama nods were no coincidence. The hires and statements show how Biden wants to tie himself closely to the former president with the hope of rebuilding his coalition. “Tying himself to Obama is one of the smartest things he can do,” said one prominent Democratic strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns. “It’s one of the best strategies and he’s the only one in this race who can do it.” “In some ways, it’s such a basic sales pitch,” added David Litt, a former Obama speechwriter and the author of the bestseller “Thanks, Obama.” While Biden did everything he could to highlight his Obama connections, the ex-president played it straight. An Obama spokesperson heaped praise... Link to the full article to read more