2010 Complete Election Coverage: The Obama campaign-trail calculus
Obama’s aides contend he can help Carnahan raise money, get out the base and re-excite first-time voters from 2008. But because Missouri is not in Obama’s sweet spot — it’s whiter, older, more conservative and less labor-friendly than Nevada — it’s not in Carnahan’s best interests to be seen as too close to the president.
That’s why the Missouri secretary of state and Democratic Senate nominee’s relationship with the White House has been less than passionate. In March, when the president ventured to St. Louis for a fundraiser for Sen. Claire McCaskill, Carnahan surfaced in Washington. A month later, though, Carnahan decided to attend an event with the president at an ethanol plant in north-central Missouri — and Republicans immediately pounced, circulating a video clip of him calling her “one of my favorite people.”
The campaign of Carnahan’s likely GOP opponent, Rep. Roy Blunt, in fact, has gone to great lengths to link Carnahan to the Obama agenda, dutifully affixing the “rubber-stamp” label before any mention of her name. On Thursday, his campaign staffers could barely contain their glee at the prospect of video of the Democratic duo together.
On a state party conference call meant to highlight Obama’s visit prior to his arrival, Blunt, said the video of the moment wasn’t even necessary.
"I think President Obama’s policies help me more than her," he said.
“I don’t think it matters whether there’s a picture of Robin Carnahan with President Obama or not. This is not very complicated. I think she’s associated with his policies,” said Blunt, rattling off her support for the stimulus and health care bills. “I suppose he should be doing everything he can to help her.”
On Thursday, Obama spent just over an hour at a pair of low-key fundraisers for Carnahan, who skipped his speech on the economy at an electric vehicle manufacturer in Kansas City.
Introducing the president in the gilded Folly Theater downtown, Carnahan captured the event’s take-the-money-and-run feel by bashing Democratic-controlled Washington in one breath and welcoming Obama to the stage in the next.
“I know the president shares my determination to do all we can to fix what’s broken in Washington, but I also know he won’t be surprised when he hears me call bull whenever and wherever I see it,” Carnahan said before expressing what “a wonderful honor” it was to welcome Obama, who was waiting backstage.
Obama played his part, too, taking pains to emphasize Carnahan’s independence. “She’s not going there to represent me, although she’s a great friend,” he said of Carnahan. “She will call them like she sees them.”