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For President Obama,endorsing Muriel E. Bowser for D.C. mayor was an easy one.

There is no apparent downside for Obama and only upside for Bowser in arace against independent city councilman David Catania that is closer than expected. Nabbing an Obama endorsement will likely help her with black women voterswho will power the overall black vote. And given that there are very few conservative voters in D.C., Obama isn't alienating anyone who might otherwise vote Bowser.

But there is also some upside for Obama, who called Bowser a "passionate proponent of Washington, D.C." in his endorsement statement. That's becauseObama, along with his wife, has also framed himself as a "passionate proponent of Washington, D.C."

Early on, Michelle Obama talked about the White House as "the people's house" -- a place she wanted to open up to local school kids who probably felt very far removed from the place. She also visited local schools and held small discussions with students, telling them her story could be their story.

For his part, President Obama visited Ben's Chili Bowl and has stopped off at the occasional bookstore and burger joint. When he unveiled part of his My Brother's Keeper initiative, he chose Southeast D.C.

The Post'sClinton Yates, though,has written abouthowObama hasn't really shown up in D.C. in any real way, andMarc H. Morial, who leads the National Urban League, has said that cities remain left behind under Obama.

But symbolically, Obama came to office as the first urban president, promising to be a champion of big cities.He ran as a "community organizer," and he opened the White House Office of Urban Affairsonce he was in office.

Here he was in the summer of 2009, pitching the stimulus as especially beneficial to big cities:

We need to do more than help our cities weather this economic storm. We need to rebuild them on newer, firmer, stronger foundation for our future. That requires a new strategy for our cities and metropolitan areas that focuses on advancing opportunity through competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth.

In endorsing Bowser, Obama is nodding to his approach to and passion for urban America, where much of the Obama coalition lives. He is also nodding to the up-and-coming generation of big-city politicians who stand apart from the bad old days of political patronage and race politics and are very much in the Obama tradition.

See more here:
The Fix: Why President Obama endorsed Muriel Bowser