Back in campaign mode, Obama expected to stay above the fray
As he lends a hand to Dems, former prez isn’t likely to take on Trump directly
WASHINGTON – Barack Obama will significantly raise his profile in the coming months as he campaigns for Democrats in the November midterm elections, but he is unlikely to take on President Donald Trump more directly, allies of the former president said.
The two-term Democratic president is planning to re-emerge as a regular fixture at fundraisers and on the campaign trail after Labor Day but will continue to strive for an above-the-fray style, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Avoiding direct confrontation with his successor – not to mention the bombast on Twitter that would inevitably follow – will give Obama more room to maneuver in states like Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania that Trump won in 2016 but that are now home to competitive Senate races featuring Democratic incumbents.
“He doesn’t have to be aggressive,” said former Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa.. “If he’s aggressive, that would have the result of firing up Trump’s base.”
In his first substantial return to politics since leaving office 18 months ago, Obama endorsed 81 Democrats for state and federal office Wednesday. Aides said he wanted to raise the profile of lesser-known candidates – part of an effort to build the Democratic bench – and focus on state races that could influence redistricting in 2020.
Obama, who turned 57 on Saturday, backed Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio, nearly two dozen House candidates, and Rep. Jacky Rosen, who’s running to unseat a Republican incumbent senator in Nevada.
Those close to Obama said to expect many more endorsements.
Obama’s planned re-emergence comes as both parties are girding for a November election widely seen as a referendum on Trump. The outcome will decide control of Congress and three dozen gubernatorial contests.
Analysts said Obama’s post-presidential star status among Democrats will help drive turnout among AfricanAmerican, Latino and young voters in key suburban House districts and cities. They also said he is better positioned than almost anyone else in the party to raise huge amounts of campaign cash.
Obama left office with a 57 percent approval rating, and, like most presidents, his standing has only improved since departing the West Wing. More than 6 in 10 respondents to a Gallup poll released in February said they approved of the way Obama handled the job.
Obama has kept a low profile since leaving office – honoring a commitment he made not to badger Trump. His hands-off approach mirrors the way George W. Bush carried himself after leaving office.
While he has avoided direct criticism of Trump, Obama decried “strongman politics” in an address last month and blasted what he described as a propensity for some to “make stuff up.”
Democrats say Obama doesn’t need to target Trump any more directly than that to deliver his message. Jesse Ferguson, a former deputy executive director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, said Obama’s presence alone draws a contrast.
“It doesn’t escape voters, when they see President Obama, for them to be reminded that things don’t have to be like they are under President Trump,” he said.