Democrats are counting on Barack Obama, their ‘most potent weapon’, to energise voters and boost key candidates ahead of the November 3 election.
Former US President Barack Obama is returning to the campaign trail as Democrats make their final push before Election Day, with the party relying on his popularity and fundraising reach in several closely contested races, according to a report by MS NOW.
Obama is scheduled to campaign with Democratic Senate and gubernatorial candidates in Cleveland and Detroit on Saturday before travelling to Atlanta next week. His appearances come just 10 days before the November 3 election, with several key races still closely contested.
Democratic lawmakers and campaign officials told MS NOW that Obama remains one of the party’s most effective campaign surrogates. One House Democrat described him as the party’s “most potent weapon” and said the former president remained its “biggest star”.
Obama’s return comes as Democrats centre their closing campaign message on affordability, the economy and the cost of living. According to MS NOW, the Michigan and Ohio Senate races are currently rated as “toss ups”, while Georgia’s Senate contest is in the “lean Democrat” category.
Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to Obama, told MS NOW that the former president was focused on supporting Democratic candidates where his presence could have the greatest impact.
“President Obama understands the stakes of this election could not be any higher, and that is why he’s doing everything he can to help Democrats up and down the ballot win on November 3,” Schultz said.
“Our strategy is focused on maximising his impact, especially where his voice can help move the needle in support of the next generation of leaders currently stepping up to lead,” he added.
For Democratic candidates, Obama’s role goes beyond drawing crowds. Party officials believe he can use his closing campaign arguments to connect national political issues with concerns facing voters in their daily lives, while drawing contrasts with Republican policies.
According to a person familiar with Obama’s thinking, his campaign appearances will focus on issues including the rising cost of living, housing and energy prices. He is also expected to discuss corruption and abuse of power in Washington, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence.
The same person told MS NOW that Obama’s team had worked with Democratic House, Senate and gubernatorial leaders to identify the races where his presence could have the greatest impact. The former president has also raised more than $15 million for Democrats through campaign events, emails and mail campaigns, the person said.
Obama’s involvement has not been limited to rallies. He has recorded more than two dozen endorsement videos for Democratic candidates, including Iowa Senate nominee Josh Turek and Maine nominee Troy Jackson.
He also appeared in Austin, Texas, in May alongside Senate nominee James Talarico and gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa.
Rep. Greg Landsman, an Ohio Democrat, told MS NOW that Obama was particularly effective at making a final case to voters about the importance of an election.
“He does a really good job making closing arguments: why this moment is so important, why the election is so consequential, why everyone’s vote matters as much as it does,” Landsman said. “There’s very few that do it better than he does.”
Obama is campaigning in Michigan for Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson. In Ohio, he is backing Senate candidate Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton.
Landsman said Obama could also help Democrats present their arguments on the economy and healthcare while contrasting them with Republican policies.
“He has the ability to talk about what you have to do to build a strong economy, which he did, versus what’s happened over the last two years,” Landsman said.
Obama’s campaign push comes as President Donald Trump also steps up his own election activity. Trump is scheduled to campaign in Michigan on Sunday and has held rallies across more than 15 states in the run-up to Election Day.
According to MS NOW, Trump’s campaign schedule has included Republican-leaning states such as Kentucky, Montana and Alabama, as well as battleground states including Texas, Ohio, Georgia and Iowa.
Obama’s role also extends to governor’s races, which can receive less national attention than congressional contests. Sam Newton, communications director of the Democratic Governors Association, told MS NOW that Obama could help bring these races to voters who may otherwise pay little attention to politics.
