Struggling Democrats Play the Obama Card
Deeds' campaign today released a new ad that looks, at first, like an Obama campaign ad: The viewer hears inspiring words from Mr. Obama as optimistic music plays and Americans are shown looking directly at the camera. Eventually it becomes clear that it's actually an ad for Deeds, who is finally shown as Mr. Obama is heard endorsing him. (Watch above.)
Deeds needs to convince a sizable portion of Virginia's Democrats, who showed up in droves to elect Mr. Obama last year, to show up for an election at which Mr. Obama is not on the ballot. To help convince them ahead of the Nov. 3rd contest, he will be campaigning with the president next Tuesday in Norfolk – a city with a heavy African-American population in which voters overwhelmingly supported the president against Republican John McCain in the presidential election.
The other off-year gubernatorial race taking place this year is in New Jersey, where Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine is in a tight battle with Republican Chris Christie and independent Chris Daggett. The president will stump for Corzine this evening at a rally at Fairleigh Dickinson University; a loss by Corzine in heavily-Democratic New Jersey will likely be trumpeted by Republicans as evidence that they are gaining ground on the president's party after a pair of tough elections.
More: Can Obama Help Corzine in New Jersey?
The president was also trotted out last night on behalf of Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate running for New York's 23rd Congressional District. Mr. Obama headlined the fundraiser for Owens, but many political watchers were focused instead on Bill Thompson, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, who is facing off against heavily-favored incumbent Michael Bloomberg. (Another New York Democrat with a questionable relationship with the president, Governor David Paterson, didn't show up.)
It has been somewhat uncomfortable watching Thompson try to claim the clear backing of a White House that seems disinclined to offer him full-blooded support. Asked earlier this month if the White House backs Thompson, press secretary Robert Gibbs didn't use his name.
""The president is the leader of the Democratic Party and, as that, would support the Democratic nominee," Gibbs said, before adding: "The president obviously has had a chance to, throughout campaigning and his time both as a candidate and as a president, to meet, know and work with Mayor Bloomberg and obviously has a tremendous amount of respect for what he's done as well."Thompson decided to trumpet that "endorsement" on his Web site – check out the video at left. He claimed the White House "took the time to make sure that they let people know that they're supporting me to be the next mayor of the city of New York."
At last night's fundraiser, Mr. Obama mentioned Thompson briefly, while recognizing local officials. "And a great city comptroller, our candidate for mayor, my friend, Billy Thompson is in the house," he said.
"I am excited and proud to receive the endorsement of the president," Thompson said afterward. "To have the President of United States get involved in a New York City Mayoral race and endorse me, illustrates that he believes I will win and that I can lead this city."
But he later had trouble sticking to his line that he had Mr. Obama's backing. According to NBC New York, Thompson was pressed on whether he really considered the president's shout-out to him an endorsement. Thompson pointed at a reporter.
"No," he said. "Do you consider it an endorsement?"