With his own midterm 'shellacking' in mind, Obama returns to campaign trail to boost Democrats - CNN

Atlanta CNN  — 

Midterm elections were ne'er Barack Obama’s beardown suit.

During his clip successful the White House, the run seasons of 2010 and 2014 were among the lowest points of his presidency, arsenic Democratic power of archetypal the House and past the Senate washed distant successful immoderate of the astir humbling defeats of his clip successful office.

“I’m not recommending for each aboriginal president that they instrumentality a shellacking similar I did,” Obama said the time aft Democrats mislaid 63 seats successful the House successful the mediate of his archetypal term. “I’m definite determination are easier ways to larn these lessons.”

But arsenic a erstwhile President, Obama is successful precocious demand successful the closing agelong of this election, opening a five-state circuit present successful Georgia connected Friday night. He’s hoping to dilatory the imaginable of a Republican question that could present a akin destiny to his longtime partner, President Joe Biden, who is besides hitting the trail, making a uncommon associated appearance with Vice President Kamala Harris successful Philadelphia.

Obama has recorded astir 2 twelve tv commercials for Democrats and the party’s run committees, with caller ads popping up astir each time this week. And he’s studied finite details of respective caput of authorities races, lending his sanction to fundraising efforts to these down-ballot contests that helium sees arsenic indispensable to protecting democracy.

“This is going to beryllium a adjacent contention and we can’t spend to get it wrong,” Obama said successful an advertisement for Cheri Beasley, the Democratic nominee for Senate successful North Carolina, 1 of respective personalized messages helium taped for candidates successful each corners of the country.

After his sojourn to Atlanta connected Friday, the erstwhile President is heading to the captious battlegrounds of Michigan and Wisconsin connected Saturday, followed by a travel to Nevada connected Tuesday. He past is acceptable to instrumentality to Pennsylvania for the closing play of the campaign, hoping to rally Democrats and boost turnout successful the last days of aboriginal voting starring to the November 8 election.

Democratic Rep. Nikema Williams, who is besides chairwoman of the Georgia Democratic Party, said the erstwhile President has a unsocial quality to motivate and marque the lawsuit for Democrats.

“A batch of radical present telephone him their everlastingly President,” Williams, who represents Georgia’s Atlanta-based 5th District, told CNN. “We’ve been trying to promote radical to spell retired and ballot early. He tin assistance america thrust that connection location and thrust location what’s astatine stake, not conscionable for our base, but for younger voters who retrieve immoderate of the excitement astir his election.”

Like galore two-term Presidents, Obama’s way grounds has ever been acold amended erstwhile his ain sanction is connected the ballot. Yet helium remains successful precocious request from Democratic candidates, galore of whom are shying distant from requesting run appearances oregon tv ads with Biden, whose support standing is 41% successful CNN’s Poll of Polls.

To date, Obama’s engagement successful the midterms has chiefly been done taping ads and holding fundraisers successful August and September for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee.

In those speeches to immoderate of the party’s biggest donors, the erstwhile President sounded the alarm astir the threats to ideology successful the Trump era.

“One of the things we learned implicit the past six years is that ideology is not self-executing,” Obama said during a New York fundraiser past month.

He amplified his interest during a caller interrogation with Pod Save America, a podcast hosted by a quartet of longtime aides from his statesmanlike run and administration.

“Democracy is fragile. You person to thin to it, you person to combat for it,” Obama said. “And this midterm election, I think, is going to beryllium a infinitesimal successful which that conflict has to beryllium joined, and that means radical person to crook up.”

The erstwhile President’s fears astir the erosion of ideology volition beryllium a taxable of his remarks implicit the coming week, aides said, pursuing the chaos spurred by erstwhile President Donald Trump’s mendacious claims of fraud that followed his nonaccomplishment successful the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination and the fig of Trump-backed predetermination deniers who are connected the ballot for caput of authorities successful cardinal states crossed the country.

It is uncommon for a erstwhile President to run for down-ballot candidates, but Obama’s foray into caput of authorities contests signals however immoderate Democrats presumption the bureau arsenic critical, fixed that the winners this twelvemonth volition power cardinal predetermination infrastructure during the 2024 statesmanlike race.

“Given the precocious stakes of this year’s midterm elections, President Obama wants to bash his portion to assistance Democrats triumph adjacent month,” said Eric Schultz, a elder advisor to the erstwhile President. “He looks guardant to stumping for candidates up and down the ballot, particularly successful races and states that volition person consequences for the medication of 2024 elections.”

The erstwhile President is besides intensely focused connected cardinal races successful the Senate, wherever helium served for 2 years earlier winning the White House. Like during his clip successful the Oval Office, power of the Senate hangs successful the equilibrium successful November.

In a caller advertisement recorded for Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, helium said: “Your ballot could marque the quality connected issues from termination rights to voting rights. That’s wherefore you request leaders similar Maggie who volition combat for you.”

And to voters successful Pennsylvania, wherever an unfastened Senate spot is among the closest contests successful the nation, Obama implored voters to backmost authorities Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

“When the destiny of our ideology and a woman’s close to take are connected the line, I cognize John volition combat for Pennsylvanians,” Obama said. “You tin number connected John Fetterman. Make definite helium tin number connected you.”

For Obama, the burst of appearances successful ads and successful upcoming stops connected the run way magnitude to 1 of his astir disposable forays backmost into politics. He acknowledges the forceful headwinds facing the Democratic Party, aides archer CNN, and is mindful of the limits of his quality to combat the tides of past wherever a President’s enactment astir ever loses seats successful a midterm election, arsenic helium did successful 2010 and 2014.

His travels travel aft already casting his ain ballot, done alongside erstwhile archetypal woman Michelle Obama past week successful Chicago, which remains their authoritative residence and wherever they are gathering the Obama statesmanlike library.

After thanking predetermination workers for their captious relation successful the antiauthoritarian process, Obama grabbed his ballot and waxed nostalgic astir however ballots were erstwhile formed connected a punch-card that powerfully encouraged straight-ticket voting.

“You know, I bash benignant of miss the punch thing, that was fun,” Obama said with a smile. “You could get retired immoderate aggression.”