Democrats Distance Themselves from Obama
Credit: McGraw-Hill Education ; some typically Democratic voters are disappointed in Obama’s leadership.
Running any election campaign strategy is tricky business. Running as a candidate of the same party as the current president can be even trickier. Depending on approval ratings at any given time, association can be a bump or a burden. Unfortunately for Democrats running in the midterms, this is not a good time to play the president card. Last week, we brought you news of some of the states that could factor significantly in the upcoming elections. Let’s take a closer look at how the Democrats in those states are factoring in their leader.
Perhaps one of the loudest opponents of President Obama is Grimes, who is said to have a good chance at unseating incumbent, Republican Mitch McConnell.
The problem is, Kentucky voted for Mitt Romney in the 2012 election by 23 point margin. When asked during a public debate if she voted for the president, Grimes refused to answer, citing the right of privacy in the ballot box.
Campaign ads are the most popular way for candidates to explain how they differ from the president on issues that affect voters in their states. Begich ran a television spot where he said that the Administration’s position on drilling in the Arctic was wrong.
She ran a similar ad, showing how she disagrees with the president on the issue of energy. However, Landrieu’s opponent Bill Cassidy is trying to convince voters that she has a history of voting with the president “97 percent of the time.”
Nunn’s opponent David Perdue used a photo of Nunn and the president in an ad to show their alliance. In response, Nunn appeared in her own ad with the picture, explaining that the photo was taken at an event honoring former President George H.W. Bush, and offering it as proof that she can work with members of both parties.
The Affordable Healthcare Act (or Obamacare) is a big issue that does not poll well with voters. That is why Republican opponent Thom Tillis has spent a lot of his advertising dollars linking Hagan to the president’s signature policy.
Recently, she has managed to use the association to attack the opposition’s decision to opt out of the Medicaid expansion, leaving many residents unable to enroll.
Lame Duck Tradition
President Obama is not alone in his position of being shunned by his own party. This has happened with the past two “lame duck” presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. (A lame duck is an elected official who is in the final period of his term and is not seeking reelection.) Both Clinton and George W. Bush experienced low approvals (less than 50 percent) at the same point in their second terms. Similarly, congressional candidates in those midterm elections distanced themselves from their presidents. In September, Obama received the all-time low approval rating of his presidency, 38 percent, a considerable far from the 69 percent he had shortly after taking office in 2008.
What Do You Think?
Do you think it’s fair for a Democrat to minimize affiliation with President Obama? Why or why not?
Lia Eastep
