The past and the future
Obama heading to battleground states as midterms approach
With Election Day right around the corner, Democrats have sent former President Barack Obama on the campaign trail to battleground states, The Washington Post reports. He plans to support Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) on Friday and then travel to Michigan and Wisconsin, reports the Washington Examiner.
The move by Democrats comes as many races become closer than anticipated, with some pundits even anticipating a "red wave." Obama continues to be a popular figure among Democrats, and there is hope that his endorsement give candidates an important boost.
Georgia has been a state of concern for Dems for a while, since Herschel Walker (R) is still garnering support despite allegations the anti-abortion candidate once paid for a girlfriend's abortion. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was caught vocalizing his concern for the races in Georgia to President Biden.
Obama is no stranger to bad midterm elections. CNN reports that his midterm campaigns in 2010 and 2014 were some of the lowest points in his presidency. After losing 63 House seats in his first term Obama remarked that he's "not recommending for every future president that they take a shellacking" as he did. He has appeared in a number of commercials for Democratic candidates all over the country.
In his interview with Pod Save America, he emphasized, "Democracy is fragile. You have to tend to it, you have to fight for it."