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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama Returns to Help a Vulnerable Senate Democrat
Obama Returns to Help a Vulnerable Senate Democrat
By Josh Voorhees
March 28, 20181:34 PM
Barack Obama is getting back in the game. The former president plans to hold a fundraiser for Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill this spring, his first appearance for an individual candidate since leaving office.
According to an invitation obtained by Politico, the May 6 event will take place in Beverly Hills, California, and it will come with the usual glitzy trappings. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, director J.J. Abrams, and his wife, Katie McGrath, will host, and the final guest list is expected to include a number of other Hollywood players.* The invitation didnt list ticket prices for the event but given the location and the headliner, its a safe bet it will bring in a boatload of cash for McCaskill.
Shes going to need it.
McCaskill is one of 10 Senate Democrats up for re-election this year in states that went for Donald Trump two years ago. Of those 10, McCaskill is one of four that nonpartisan handicappers see as the most vulnerable this November (the others: Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, Joe Manchin in West Virginia, and Joe Donnelly in Indiana). Given Democrats have only a handful of legitimate pickup opportunities of their own, defending those seats will be crucial if they are going to retake control of the Senate next year.
Trump won Missouri by 19 points over Hillary Clinton two years ago, and Clinton hasnt made McCaskills life any easier since then. Republicans are currently running digital attack ads linking McCaskill to a pair of remarks Clinton made about Trump voters: her basket of deplorables comments in 2016 and similar ones she made earlier this month about Trump appealing to voters by looking backwards. Thats left McCaskill to do an awkward dance whereby she defends Trump voters while still trying not to alienate her base of Clinton voters, some of whom feel the same about the president and his supporters as the woman they wanted to see in the White House does.
McCaskill will be far more excited to be linked to Obama, who she backed over Clinton early in their 2008 nominating fight. Obama lost Missouri that year, but only by a narrow 4,000 votes. In 2012, he lost to Mitt Romney by about 200,000 votes, while Clinton lost to Trump by roughly half a million votes in the state. Clinton has somehow become even more unpopular nationally since then, a rarity for a losing presidential candidate and all the more remarkable given just how unpopular she was during the campaign. Obama, meanwhile, has only become more popular in the age of Trump. According to Gallup, his job approval rating was at 59 percent when he left office, about 11 points higher than he averaged during his eight years in office. Americas collective memory has only grown fonder since then. Last month, 63 percent said that in hindsight they approve of the job he did as president. If Obamas willing to make the rounds on the midterm circuit, the vast majority of Democrats will be thrilled to have him.
more...
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/03/obama-returns-to-give-claire-mccaskill-a-fundraising-boost.html
Gothmog
(143,999 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Hmmm. I'm sure the bump in campaign contributions will be appreciated by Sen. McCaskill, but I'd far rather see McCaskill stumping around Missouri with local Democratic candidates. Get away from the cities and hit the rural hustings. Stage a rally and talk directly to folks. Call up the local newspaper and radio station and provide them some content without the Fox filter.
babylonsister
(170,963 posts)according to this...at least she was in February.
There is also the fact that she has been stumping all over Missouri while he has mostly remained on the job in Jefferson City.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-ag-hawley-now-facing-whispers-of-buyer-s-remorse/article_296ef39b-2c54-5b93-b2ec-33540fad03ed.html
Missouri AG Hawley now facing whispers of buyer's remorse within party
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Keep it up, Senator. In this political climate, there's really no reason a Democrat needs to hide from the Democratic platform.
And that article you linked to is hilarious. Scandalized, the Republicans of Missouri are, that Sen. McCaskill is playing politics in a political campaign! Just unheard of! Mercy!
does get out in the rural areas to speak with constituents. Senator Blunt to my knowledge never holds town hall meetings like Senator McCaskill does. I do wish she wouldnt hold fundraisers in California though. I can just see the GOP ads they will run against her now getting money from the holiywood elite. Doesnt help in my opinion.
sheshe2
(83,343 posts)"Obama Returns"
I
K&R
babylonsister
(170,963 posts)I know.
sheshe2
(83,343 posts)I want his wisdom. His wit. His and his families beautiful souls.
Sorry, I am weepy tonight.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)sheshe2
(83,343 posts)back at ya
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)But a Beverly Hills fundraiser will look good to the deplorables.
Go Obama. We miss you.
Dear Clinton, you arent helping the deplorables find their way. Please use larger words when slapping them in the face.
McCaskill for the win!
Lucky Luciano
(11,242 posts)It does seem like RWNJ fodder for the campaign.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)It just amazes me that for reasons of their own pride, they'd prefer to do everything possible to sabotage the "imperfect" Democrat who CAN win the state... just so that we can lose the seat to the GOP.
Math! Every "D" counts when it comes to regaining control... but there's a myopic element that continues to have an all-or-nothing mindset which holds us back.
VOTE DEMOCRATIC!!
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)What I am not ok with is the loser not avidly backing the party nominee. Virginia is a perfect example, there was a fierce primary on the Democratic and republican side for Governor, and several down ticket democratic primaries. But in the General democrats came together and won big in that state. I am watching Texas with some concern, several primaries pitting dem against dem, will the loser back the winner 100%? I don't know, some of the primaries have Our Revolution type candidates, that group sat out the Georgia House race, the Alabama US Senate race and the PA House race because the democrat didn't "excite" them.