Obama Heads on Last-Minute Campaign Trail Spree Next Week
After limiting himself mostly to fundraising during this years campaign season, President Barack Obama is heading out on the trail.
Obama is scheduled to appear on behalf of Democratic candidates for governor next week in Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine and Connecticut, where Democrats are in close contests. Obama also is making a rare appearance for a Senate contender, Democrat Gary Peters, who holds a comfortable lead over Republican Terri Lynn Land in Michigan.
With his approval ratings hovering at about 41 percent in most recent national polls, Obama has avoided most campaign appearances with Democratic congressional candidates as the party tries to hold its majority in the Senate.
Instead hes been raising money for Democratic campaign committees and working in other ways to rally the partys core constituencies: blacks, Hispanics, single women and young people.
If the president goes out on the campaign trail, its not like hes seeking to convert Republicans. Thats not going to happen, said Donna Hoffman, head of the University of Northern Iowa political science department. Hes a good campaigner. He can be very significant in terms of boosting enthusiasm.
Obama has set campaign-related appearances in six states before election day, and his schedule illustrates the restrictions he faces. Other than Peters in Michigan, Obama isnt appearing with Senate candidates even though the party is defending 21 seats and Republicans are poised to gain the six spots theyd need to gain control of the chamber.
In an interview on Bloomberg Televisions With All Due Respect program, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Obama is actively helping the Senate campaign even though she couldnt name a competitive race where Obama was campaigning.
There are races that the president is campaigning in around the country, and hes also governing, she said Hes doing his job, and hes also spending time recording robo-calls and doing radio spots.
Only recently has Obama been making appearances with gubernatorial candidates. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said candidates across the country have benefited from Obamas fundraising work this year.
All Democratic candidates benefit from the kinds of resources that the president raised for the Democratic National Committee, Earnest said at a White House briefing. We have the party working very aggressively to benefit Democrats up and down the ballot, and thats one way in which theyll benefit from the presidents involvement.
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Obama Heads on Last-Minute Campaign Trail Spree Next Week