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LOS ANGELES For the first time in this election season, President Obama on Thursday actively campaigned with a congressional candidate, stopping by the headquarters of California state Sen. Ted Lieu (D) for a pep talk with supporters.

What would normally be an ordinary campaign ritual stood out as an extraordinary event because sagging popularity and multiple foreign crises have rendered the president a no-show on the 2014 campaign trail. Even some Democrats who hold nearly identical policy positions, such as Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, have opted not to appear beside him.

But there are two areas in which the president still represents a significant advantage for Democrats: raising campaign cash and mobilizing the base.

And as a result, Obama remains a key component of the Democratic midterm election strategy.

The Republicans have the Koch brothers and Karl Rove, said Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who was on hand to welcome Obama at Lieus office. We have the president.

The presidents trip to California this week underscores Israels assessment. Over the course of 21/ 2 days, Obama is attending four fundraisers in Los Angeles and San Francisco for the Democratic National Committee, including one Thursday night at the Los Angeles home of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. He also is holding a couple of public events one at a tech incubator and another showcasing a new national monument aimed at highlighting his commitment to millennials and the Latino community, respectively.

On a broader level, both the resources Obama has funneled to his party and his handling of domestic and foreign policy will help determine the outcome of next months election. For the first time, the DNC has put on staff more than two dozen lawyers to ensure that its supporters arent blocked from casting their votes, rather than relying on volunteer attorneys to litigate election cases after the fact. And Israel acknowledged the extent to which Obama draws economic contrasts with the GOP and said that continuing to do a good job in fighting [Islamic extremists] in Syria is even more important than his retail campaigning.

In an interview, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the fact that voters dislike Obamas handling of critical issues explains why hes busy raising for Democrats who want to make believe they have nothing to do with him.

But those Democrats cant escape the fact that theyre the presidents choice for Senate, no matter how hard they try, Priebus said. The only reason theyre in the game is because of the money the president is raising for them.

Several Democratic candidates in conservative states are taking extreme measures to separate themselves from Obama. Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is challenging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), declined to say Thursday whether she voted for Obama in the past two elections.

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Obama, though off the campaign trail, provides valuable support for Democrats