President Obama officially jumped back into politics last week ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. By berating Republicans and President Trump during a speech at the University of Illinois, the former President is trying to get voters to the polls in November.
“As a fellow citizen I’m here to deliver a simple message and that is that you need to vote, because our democracy depends on it," Obama said. “Just a glance at recent headlines should tell you that this moment really is different, the stakes really are higher.”
But according to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports, voters aren't exactly thrilled Obama is back.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters say they are more likely to vote for a candidate whom Obama campaigns for, while 36% say they are less likely. Twenty-four percent (24%) feel an Obama endorsement has no impact on their vote.
Sixty-five percent (65%) of Democrats say they are more likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by Obama, while 57% of Republicans are less likely to vote for such a candidate. Among voters not affiliated with either political party, 26% say more likely, 36% say less likely and 35% say about the same.
Among all voters, 41% believe Obama should take a more public role in the Democratic opposition to President Trump and the Republicans. Forty-six percent.
During Obama's tenure in the White House, the Democrat Party lost more than 1,000 seats across the country from the local to the federal level. In the 2016 presidential election, more than 100 counties flipped from blue Obama votes to red, giving Trump a victory over Hillary Clinton. From NPR:
Obama's intentions on the campaign trail could certainly have the opposite effect: energizing Republicans and supporters of President Trump to get out and vote.
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