I think you're right. CNN isn't writing for us, its writing for its shrinking readership.
They need to know that bama is still out there.
Sort of like santiclaus.
That’s very good analysis. Quite possibly the entire point of the article was to convince the writer that Obama is still a force. They’re not seeing or hearing that much from him, and Trump’s successes are scaring them witless. So CNN expends many words to reasure themselves that Obama has not hung them out to dry.
I really think you nailed it. The author DID go to some lengths to mention all the fun, high roller hobnobbing Obama has been doing. That reference only makes sense when seen through the prism of, ‘But Obama being part of the Beautiful People crowd in no way means he’s forgotten about us. He still thinks about us and cares about us...he really does.’