Barack Obama likely to avoid direct combat with Trump as he dives back into campaign mode

Show Caption Hide Caption Barack Obama: Politics of fear, resentment on the move Without ever mentioning President Donald Trump by name, US President Barack Obama on Tuesday took aim at "strongman politics" in his highest-profile speech since leaving office, while in South Africa. (July 17)

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama will significantly raise his profile in the coming months as he campaigns for Democrats in the November midterm elections but he is unlikely to take on President Donald Trump more directly, allies of the former president said.

The two-term Democratic president is planning to re-emerge as a regular fixture at fundraisers and on the campaign trail after Labor Day, but will continue to strive for an above-the-fray style, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss emerging strategy.

Avoiding direct confrontation with his successor – not to mention the bombast on Twitter that would inevitably follow – will give Obama more room to maneuver in states like Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania that Trump won in 2016 but that are now home to competitive Senate races featuring Democratic incumbents.

"He doesn’t have to be aggressive," said Ed Rendell, the former Pennsylvania governor and one-time Obama surrogate. "If he's aggressive that would have the result of firing up Trump's base."

In his first substantial return to politics since leaving office 18 months ago, Obama endorsed 81 Democrats for state and federal office Wednesday. Aides said he wanted to raise the profile of lesser-known candidates – part of an effort to build the Democratic bench – and focus on state races that could influence the 2020 redistricting.

Obama, who turns 57 on Saturday, backed Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio, nearly two dozen House candidates and Rep. Jacky Rosen, who's running to unseat a Republican incumbent senator in Nevada.

Those close to Obama said to expect many more endorsements.

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Obama’s planned re-emergence comes as both parties are girding for a November election widely seen as a referendum on Trump. The outcome will decide control of Congress and three dozen gubernatorial contests.

Analysts said Obama's post-presidential star status among Democrats will help drive turnout among African-American, Latino and young voters in key suburban House districts and cities. They also said he is better positioned than almost anyone else in the party to raise huge amounts of campaign cash.

“As a broadly popular former president, President Obama looks forward to hitting the campaign trail for Democrats in earnest this fall," said Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill. "He wants to help Democrats win at every level this year."

Hill declined to comment about Obama's approach to Trump.

Obama left office with a 57 percent approval rating, and like most presidents, his standing has only improved since departing the West Wing. More than six in 10 respondents to a Gallup poll released in February said they approved of the way Obama handled the job.

Obama has kept a low profile since leaving office – honoring a commitment he made not to badger Trump. His hands-off approach mirrors the way George W. Bush carried himself after leaving office.

Obama's silence has come as Trump repeatedly blamed him for leaving behind a "mess" on a host of issues and has worked to unwind his legacy.

Obama, who now posts to Twitter three to four times a month, jumped back into the fray last fall to support Democratic gubernatorial candidates Ralph Northam in Virginia and Phil Murphy in New Jersey. While he has avoided direct criticism of Trump, Obama decried "strongman politics" in an address in South Africa last month and blasted what he described as a propensity for some to "make stuff up."

Democrats say Obama doesn’t need to target Trump any more directly than that to deliver his message. Jesse Ferguson, a former deputy executive director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and spokesman for Clinton's campaign, said Obama's presence alone draws a contrast.

“It doesn’t escape voters, when they see President Obama, for them to be reminded that things don’t have to be like they are under President Trump,” he said.

Republicans suggest another reason why Obama has engaged cautiously: His support could hurt Democratic candidates with some independent voters. Trump won in 2016 by appealing to blue-collar voters who felt left behind by the Democratic Party.

“To the extent that there are districts that are right of center, it certainly helps where he is involved,” said Josh Holmes, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

"The vast majority of Americans are doing better today than over the eight years of his presidency,” Holmes said.

Senate Leadership Fund spokesman Chris Pack agreed.

"The Democratic base is already pretty motivated and all this will do is get Republican voters more fired up," he said. "So we salute the idea.”

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Obama's endorsements in congressional contests were focused mostly in Democratic or coastal states. He did not weigh into the marquee Senate race in Missouri, where Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill is running in a tight race against Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley, though he did appear at a fundraiser for her earlier this year.

Obama also did not endorse Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly in the toss-up Indiana Senate contest against former state lawmaker Mike Braun. Even so, Braun blasted out a press release attempting to tie Donnelly to the former president.

“While Donnelly basks in having Obama on his side, Mike Braun stands with President Trump on trade and his tax cuts that are growing our economy,” said Braun’s spokesman, Josh Kelley.

His involvement could help drive turnout for Stacey Abrams, who is running in Georgia to become the nation’s first African-American female governor, said Geoffrey Skelley, associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

An underdog in a red state, Abrams’ election strategy focuses on expanding the electorate to include African-Americans and other groups that traditionally have low turnout in midterm elections.

On balance, Skelley said Obama's involvement will help Democrats.

“I guess if you’re a Democrat running in a super red district, you wouldn’t want him to show up,” Skelley said. “But in most of the races that have a chance of being competitive, his endorsement would be mostly welcomed.”

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