Obama Scores One In Midterms – For GOP, That Is
Christl Leong | | Oct 22, 2014 09:59 AM EDT |
(Photo : Reuters/Kevin Lamarque) U.S. President Barack Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama has given Republicans ammunition to target Democrats with only two weeks left before the November midterm elections and with control of the Senate hanging in the balance.
During Al Sharpton's radio show Monday, Obama pitched for black voter turnout in the polls. But the president appears to have stuck his foot in his mouth again when he was asked about Democrats who have tried to distance themselves from him on campaign trails.
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Red-state voters should choose Democratic candidates because they have "vote(d) with me" and supported my policies in Congress, Obama told Sharpton, citing plans on minimum wage, fair pay laws and early education.
The GOP leaped at the chance to use Obama's words in their favor as they attacked Democratic candidates Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Michelle Nunn of Georgia, claiming that voting for them would essentially mean voting for Obama, according to The Hill.
This is the second time the president has linked red-state Democratic candidates to his agenda despite former White House adviser David Axelrod already calling the first one a "mistake."
Last Oct. 2, Obama candidly shared that while he is not on the ballot this November, he was happy that "every single one" of his policies are.
The comments easily became fodder for GOP candidates, the Business Insider reported.
GOP National Committee spokesperson Kirsten Kukowski said Democrats have constantly been trying to distance themselves from the president to no avail.
Nevertheless, a number of Democrats say Obama's recent flub was a relatively minor issue. The election is already considered a referendum on the president, there is little the candidates can do about it, they said.
They noted Obama's efforts at increasing black voter turnout, a move that could potentially win Democrats Senate control in key states in Louisiana, North Carolina and Georgia.
Obama has also raised millions for the Democratic Party, hosting one fundraiser after another and trumping former President George W. Bush who was hailed as a prodigious fundraiser at the time.
Likewise, the administration has also delayed executive action on immigration to aid a Democratic bid in gaining a Senate majority, much to the chagrin of Hispanics.
But whatever effect Obama's efforts in the midterms may have, it is ultimately up to the candidates' strategies to win in the elections, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday as he sought to downplay the chief of State's Monday remarks to Sharpton.
If the Democrats lose the Senate, the president will own up to a share of the blame but at the end of the day, it's still the candidates' race.
"It's their name that's on the ballot," he added.
Tagspolitics, Al Sharpton, Democratic Party, Barack Obama, Barack Obama presidential primary campaign
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