When the going gets tough, the Democrats have a last minute line of attack. Bring out Bill Clinton. The popular former president who had the good fortune of leading the nation during one of the largest economic booms this world has ever seen is logging plenty of miles this election cycle, stumping across the country in an attempt to associate Democrats with better times.
Recently, Clinton found himself in North Dakota touting Democratic candidate for US Senate Heidi Heitkamp as a bipartisan, independent voice desperately needed in Washington. Releasing a radio ad, he relayed a story of how Heitkamp, as attorney general, successfully sued the Clinton administration’s Fish and Wildlife Service. Monday night, he held a rally with Heitkamp in Fargo, ND where he praised her ability to break from the party calling her a, “common-sense bipartisan.” It’s not a good day for a candidate when the only way they can appeal to voters is by distancing themselves from the party that will be listed right next to their name on the ballot.
Heitkamp knows most of her positions are unpopular among North Dakotan voters so she has instead emphasized her personality. Clinton talked about how he’s “known Heidi for years” and described her as nice and someone “who knows how to get along with people, who knows how to listen to them.” Although basic people skills are necessary requirements for holding political office, when that’s your main argument for getting elected, there might be a problem.
Rick Berg, Heitkamp’s Republican opponent, has given Democrats plenty of reason to scramble. He leads Heitkamp handedly in the latest polls from this month, up an average of 5.7 points. An open US Senate seat in a heavily Republican state that favors Romney over Obama by a margin of almost 18 points will not be easy to swing Democratic. It’s no wonder Clinton had to make an appearance. He might be Democrat’s last hope in saving their majority in the Senate.