‘Most potent weapon’: Obama arrives to boost Democrats in battlegrounds

Barack Obama is heading into three battleground states to help Democrats close out the midterm campaign, with Election Day on November 3 about ten days off. Party officials see the former president as their strongest draw, and his visits target races MS NOW rates as toss-ups in Michigan and Ohio, plus a Georgia Senate contest rated lean Democrat.

His stops begin Saturday in Cleveland and Detroit, where he appears alongside Senate and governor hopefuls: Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton in Ohio, Abdul El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson in Michigan. Atlanta follows Wednesday. A person familiar with his thinking says he will stress living costs, including housing and energy, along with corruption in Washington and the effects of artificial intelligence. His team picked destinations in consultation with Democratic congressional and gubernatorial leaders. That same person says he has raised over $15 million for the party and recorded more than two dozen endorsement videos, including for Josh Turek in Iowa and Troy Jackson in Maine.

Rep. Greg Landsman, an Ohio Democrat, praised Obama's skill at explaining why votes matter. Sam Newton of the Democratic Governors Association said Obama can also reach disengaged voters and spotlight governor's races.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →