Democratic confidence in a “blue wave” that would put both the House of Representative and Senate under their control is clearly fading as polls show that it would be harder for Democrats to gain as many seats as they had originally anticipated.
As no one leader has emerged from the mess that was the 2016 presidential elections, Democrats are turning to former President Barack Obama for assistance, and the retired Democratic leader is once again taking on a leadership role in his party that could impact not just the mid-term elections, but also the 2020 presidential elections.
For the last year and a half, the Democratic Party was content to allow others to take the spotlight in a frantic search for new leadership that could breathe life into the party and its voters in advance of the mid-term elections. However, no suitable candidate has emerged to take the reins and lead the party into the future.
As one political strategist recently told the Daily Mail, the Democratic Party simply cannot find anyone else who would be able to take the spotlight. Controversy surrounding Bill Clinton’s recent comments about what could be done to a woman against her will make him a less than desirable face for the party, and former president Jimmy Carter is far too old to travel the country stumping for candidates.
Notably, no one has mentioned Hillary Clinton as a possible option, likely because her controversial comments regarding the 2016 election make her just as toxic as her husband. Other possible party leaders are clearly gearing up for a 2020 presidential campaign and anointing one of them as a party leader could create even more fractures in a party that is still divided over the way that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was treated in 2016.
To be sure, Obama has never really left the political scene. He has routinely made negative comments about current U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda, and has spent his time helping to lead an organization that aims to help Democrat House of Representative candidates win their races against Republican opponents. Furthermore, he has recently held secret meetings with a number of prominent Democrats who are seriously considering a 2020 presidential campaign, including Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. However, in the coming months, it is likely that the general public will see far more of the former president than they have in the last few months.
The former president is scheduled to be the star attraction at a DNC fundraiser in Hollywood later this month in an event that is intended to not only inspire Democrat voters, but also collect some much-needed cash on behalf of the DNC. He has also helped Senator Claire McCaskill with her fundraising efforts, and inserted himself into the local California political scene by formally endorsing Senator Dianne Feinstein as she wards off a challenge from fellow Democrat Kevin de León.
Democrats are clearly leaving nothing to chance in the upcoming elections. While a “blue wave” seemed certain a few months ago, it is no longer a given; in fact, the Democratic Party has lost ground that it thought it had. The chances of the DNC regaining control of the Senate are slim, and many Congressional races are a toss-up as voters have yet to decide who they want to cast ballots for. Given this fact, it is not surprising that the party is looking for leadership and turning to the one and only candidate who seems to be able to take on that role.
While there are many people who still strongly dislike former President Barack Obama and all that he stands for, his past policies and natural charisma are still held in high esteem by many potential voters throughout the United States. Even so, it remains to be seen if the former president’s increased involvement in the upcoming mid-term elections and the 2020 presidential election will unite and galvanize the party, or create even more rifts at a time when the DNC desperately needs to present a united front and concrete policy goals and initiatives in order to remain relevant on the political scene.
~ Liberty Planet
