Desperate: Obama's Strategy for Boosting Clinton? Remind Voters He Once Hated Her Too
He will be her "highest profile convert and supporter."
6.30.2016
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This is quite the campaign strategy. In an effort to boost enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton, President Obama will appeal to the common ground he and voters share: that he, too, once hated the former First Lady.
Justifiably concerned over Clinton's flagging campaign, Obama is preparing for his first joint-rally with the Democratic presumptive nominee in North Carolina on July 5th. There, he is slated to play the role of devoted Clinton-convert. Politico reports:
[Obama will] Remind voters there was a time he didn't like her so much, but he came around — and they should too.That’s the only way, Obama and aides working with him think, that she’ll have the positive mandate she’ll need to govern. Winning the White House by just not being Trump won’t help win House and Senate races, and it won’t give her the support she needs if and when she’s the new president, trying to keep the public and Congress behind her agenda.“You want people to feel as passionate about Hillary Clinton being president as they do about stopping Donald Trump. If this isn’t a close race, it’s still going to matter a great deal for her presidency,” said David Plouffe, Obama’s 2008 campaign manager and now an outside political adviser to both the president and the campaign. “That’s one place where we need to see some improvement, on the intensity side of the Clinton question.” [...]
"He can make the case as the highest profile convert to be her supporter," said White House communications director Jen Psaki.
With voters favoring GOP rival Donald Trump over Clinton on key issues like national security, the economy, trustworthiness and leadership skills, Clinton has her work cut out for her. We anticipate Obama's "convert" routine will be just one of many desperate attempts Democrats will employ to sway voters as we near November.