Stumping for Democrats Hasn’t Always Been Obama’s Favorite Place
When Chance the Rapper appeared last November on Saturday Night Live and sang a tune titled “Come Back, Barack,” he spoke for all the bereft Democrats who believed that only Barack Obama had the requisite credentials and charisma to lead the fight against Trumpism. Now nearly a year later, their wish has come true. He has interrupted his excellent retirement to stump in the midterms for a Democratic Congress, to stoke anti–Donald Trump turnout with withering critiques of the manifestly unpopular president.
The irony is that Obama will be devoting much of this autumn to one of his least favorite pursuits: campaigning for down-ballot candidates. The irony of Obama wading into the 2018 congressional midterms is that, as president, House seats; during his final two years, the minority Democrats held seats. When he was first sworn into office, Democrats enjoyed a near-filibuster-proof Senate majority; when his time ran out, their Senate seats had dwindled to 44.
