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Too little, too late?

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Obama

Could Bubba make the difference in the deadlocked west-suburban congressional race between Democrat Bill Foster and U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, the GOP incumbent?

Foster’s campaign Sunday announced that ex-President Bill Clinton, the Democratic icon who starred at September’s Democratic National Convention, has recorded a phone message on Foster’s behalf that will urge voters beginning Monday to side with him over Biggert. […]

“At the end of the recording he made for us, I have to stand up there and say, ‘I’m Bill Foster, and I approve this message.’ I was thinking I should just record it and say, ‘I’m Bill Foster and I’d be crazy not to approve this,’ ” Foster joked to reporters outside a Joliet church.

* Biggert followed the GOP’s 2012 formula by praising Clinton while attacking Foster…

“I think President Clinton did a great job, but I don’t know how that’s going to make any difference with what’s going on now,” said Biggert in between having bar patrons approach her to have their pictures taken with her.

The strike against Foster, she said, is that the one-term congressman lost his re-election bid in 2010.

Voters regard him as a poor communicator and have stayed away from his campaign events, she said.

Except for 1994, Bill Clinton was a very popular guy in this state.

But there are so many robocalls being made right now that this one will have a very tough time breaking through the clutter. Voters aren’t even answering their phones these days.

Also, you gotta wonder why Clinton wasn’t brought in earlier for Foster, or Cheri Bustos, or Bill Enyart, or any other Democrat, for that matter. An early visit, or some direct mail, or TV ads or even robocalls done weeks ago might’ve made a real difference in those races. Now? Not so much.

* And much the same can be said of this…

With days to go in the 2012 Election, President Barack Obama on Friday endorsed congressional candidates Tammy Duckworth, Brad Schneider and Bill Foster.

“America’s middle class needs these great leaders like Tammy Duckworth, Brad Schneider, and Bill Foster in Congress to stand up and fight for them,” the president said in a statement backing his move. “They will create jobs here at home by building from the middle out, not the top down. They will protect Medicare for our seniors and education for our next generation.”

Those three couldn’t get a photo op when Obama was in town to early vote last month? Why not? This endorsement basically means almost nothing now.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 10:03 am

Comments

Clinton was a hot commodity after the convention and has been going full tilt ever since all around the country. He could have done some good for a few of the candidates here.

And it’s bizarre that there wasn’t some sort of Obama strategy for Schneider, Foster and Duckworth.

For crying out loud, Dold has a TV spot prominently featuring Obama in a positive way.

I don’t know who was supposed to be lining up Clinton and Obama for Illinois candidates, but they had plenty of time to do it. Unforced error in not getting it done.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 10:20 am
Obama really helped Foster when he ran the first time. Not sure if anyone is still listening to robocalls at this point and if they are how much impact they have.

We will see I guess.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 10:32 am
Clinton wasn’t brought in because this is all about Obama and we’re not a swing state. Heck Obama even suggested that there was nothing wrong voting GOP for Congress and Obama for President.

Comment by Disconnect Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 10:48 am
robo calls = immediate hangup

Comment by zatoichi Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 10:50 am
The only real effort any Democrat has made this year to do anything at the congressional level has been Jan Schakowsky’s power trip to take over winnetka which she’ll regret the first time she holds a town hall next year. Everything else has just been a mess for them like this.

Comment by shore Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 10:52 am
Agree with Rich: kind of too little, too late. This kind of scrambling makes ones wonder if the Dems. are really worried about these seats — seats they frankly should have nailed down more easily.

Comment by Whatever Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:07 am
All robocalls at this point are useless, or even counterproductive.

Dold’s closer is curious. He praises Obama’s “tax cuts for the middle class”, a direct denial of one of Romney’s campaign claims, and then attacks Schneider for being against them. I guess praising Obama is one way to claim you’re a moderate Republican.

As to the big dog’s participation in local Congressional races — he’s not at the party’s beck and call. He chose to spend a lot of his time and voice supporting the president.

Comment by walkinfool Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:17 am
I had my first robocalls yesterday. On my landline and my cell, the same call, from Toni Preckwinkle. I hung up both times so I don’t know what she was telling me to do.

Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:24 am
If the Dems running for Congress this year, in these districts, need Clinton’s help then they don’t deserve to win. If they can’t win this year, no way they can hold in two years.

Not to digress, but Dold in contrast has run one heck of a campaign. His ads were strong. He probably can hold that seat as long as he wants it.

Comment by Skeeter Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:24 am
I think the President and his political team have done a poor job in supporting local candidates. He needs to energize his base. Supporting local candidates is part of that.

Comment by Wensicia Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:30 am
- Cheryl44 - @ 11:24 am Ditto

Comment by Anon III Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:40 am
I haven’t answered a call from an unfamiliar number since October 1.

That may make me a bad person, but I think it was worth the risk.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:44 am
Obama did a poor job communicating with Congress for the last 4 years. Why should he start doing it now!!??

Comment by Downstater Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:58 am
No matter whose voice is used, robocalls are lame lame lame and annoying annoying annoying. Therefore they are useless useless useless.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 11:59 am
the dems drew the freakin map!!! if they can’t grab 4 of the 6 seats in the contested elections, shame on them

Comment by 10th ward Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 12:31 pm
Just because I want the democrats reading this out there to feel warm and fuzzy about obama, he couldn’t find time to help your guys but he did film an ad for Chris Murphy, the us senate candidate in connecticut in a race democrats have had locked up for 2 years and who wasn’t a huge obama backer in 2008.

Comment by shore Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 12:37 pm
Bill is mending fences with the Obama machine. Harsh things were said in 2008, and Bill wants to make sure that Hillary is a viable candidate in 2016.

Comment by BrianG Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 12:46 pm
Biggert thinks Clinton did a “great job”? anyone recall whether she was in Congress when Clinton was impeached and how she voted?

Comment by slow down Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 12:50 pm
Obama’s campaign has done virtually nothing to help Illinois congressional candidates … too bad, could’ve been more help. It’s all part of this targeted state madness — blue states, even blue-home states, don’t get the love.

Comment by NW Illinois Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 1:00 pm
Rich I believe your server’s clock is off an hour.

Comment by Madison Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 1:11 pm
I think I am developing some sort of cognitive problem. Because I can’t remember Republicans loving Clinton when he was in office. Gosh — my mind is a sieve!

Comment by soccermom Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 1:11 pm
–Because I can’t remember Republicans loving Clinton when he was in office. –

It was tough love. Murder-accusing, endless-independent-prosecuting, government-shut-downing, impeaching tough love.

For his own good. Because they loved him.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 1:15 pm
I wonder if the campaigns took this long to reach out to Clinton or whether Clinton blew them off until now. I suspect the latter.

Comment by Robert the Bruce Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 1:28 pm
Time is a healer, soccermom. People are often able to recognize and appreciate a president’s political skills later, when some space is put between the initial emotion and the longer term reality. I think for instance (putting obvious policy differences aside) this is to a large degree true for both Clinton and Reagan.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 1:30 pm
We did four robocalls over the weekend. All four were in-kind contributions from other elected officials and statewide associations who are supporting the candidate for whom I am working. When you are running in a huge district (Supreme Court or Congressional), even a cut rate on robocalls is a steep price unless you have money to burn or find someone to pay the cost.

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 2:09 pm
Clinton’s doing robocalls for a whole bunch of candidates across the country this week. It was late in the primary season when he recorded a call for Rush over Obama in 2000, wasn’t it?

Comment by Boone Logan Square Monday, Nov 5, 12 @ 5:21 pm