Credit: Jamie Dupree
Credit: Jamie Dupree
After scrapping two planned days of political events last week because of worries about Ebola, President Obama took his first step on to the 2014 campaign trail on Sunday with rallies in Maryland and Illinois, but his schedule for the rest of the week is devoid of campaign activities other than fundraising events for his party.
Just outside the Beltway in Maryland, the President urged voters to back Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown in November, as Mr. Obama used the rally to slam the GOP.
"The Republican Party can keep telling you what they're against; you know they're against me," the President said to loud cheers.
"If I propose something, they're against it," he added to more applause.
Before giving that speech, Mr. Obama addressed a group of supporters who couldn't get in to the main event, as he gave the overflow room a big get-out-the-vote push.
"But it’s not enough just for you to vote. You’ve got to get your family to vote. You’ve got to get your friends to vote," he said.
After his Maryland rally, the President then jetted off to Chicago for a similar event with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who finds himself in a difficult race for re-election.
The rallies - the first of this election year for Mr. Obama - came after the White House had scrapped two days of political travel last week to allow the President to focus on questions related to Ebola.
"I'm confident that even while the President is traveling he will have to spend some time and energy on the Ebola response situation, whether it's doing some phone calls or receiving some briefings," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
VP Biden on the road
While the President does a Democratic Party fundraising event in Illinois on Monday, Vice President Biden will also be on the road, stumping in Syracuse, New York for Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY), who faces a difficult re-election bid.
Biden's schedule takes him to Duluth, Minnesota on Wednesday; while in that state, he is also expected to do a campaign event for Rep. Dick Nolan (D-MN) - a poll out last week showed Nolan trailing in his re-election bid by eight points.
Those are just two of the many races in the House that are up for grabs at this point in time; nationally, Democrats are defending more of those 'toss up' seats than Republicans.
Obama election travel still minimal
Four years ago at this time, President Obama was about to embark on a multistate campaign swing for Democrats, one which took him to nine different states in the waning days of the 2010 campaign.
In 2014, things could not be any different.
The President has no other campaign travel on his schedule for the rest of the week at this point; it's not clear if next week will be more of the same for Mr. Obama.
In 2010 at this time, the President was making stops in California and Washington State, following up with visits in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut and Ohio.
The Associated Press reported on Sunday that the President will do election events "for another half-dozen Democratic candidates for governor."
November 4 is not that far away.
About the Author
