With two weeks to go before Election Day in New Jersey and Virginia, Democrats are summoning a familiar ghost — Barack Obama — hoping he can stir the embers of a party running on fumes.
The former president will headline rallies in both states on Nov. 1, a last-minute rescue mission meant to revive sagging enthusiasm in two gubernatorial races that could deliver another bruise to a battered brand.
For Democrats, it’s not just about winning. It’s about survival. They’ve lost the White House, the Senate majority, and failed to retake the House. Now they’re gambling that a return to the old playbook — one more Obama cameo — can paper over a fractured coalition.
But the trip feels less like duty and more like self-preservation. Obama’s signature law, Obamacare, is once again under scrutiny as the federal shutdown drags on, its cost and chaos back in the headlines. His tour looks as much about defending his legacy as rescuing his protégés.
New Jersey Democrat Mikie Sherrill struck an adoring tone: “President Obama reminds us what we can accomplish when leaders are unafraid to take on big challenges.” She also tried to lash GOP nominee Jack Ciattarelli to Trump: “The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Jack Ciattarelli is supporting Trump’s attacks on New Jersey.”
Ciattarelli’s team was unmoved. “National and New Jersey Democrats are in full-blown panic,” strategist Chris Russell told Fox News Digital. “At this point, we expect them to import anyone they think can excite Democrats because Mikie Sherrill excites no one.”
Across the border, Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger is clutching Obama’s coattails as she faces Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears — a sharp-tongued conservative with the wind at her back.
Obama offered the usual refrain: “Republican policies are raising costs on working families so billionaires can get massive tax cuts.” But voters have heard it before — and fewer seem convinced.
Under Governor Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s Republicans have found their rhythm again. The energy, the money, the movement — all running red.
The Democrats are calling for a savior. But the crowd that once swooned for Obama isn’t coming back. The age of hope has passed — and the era of reckoning has arrived.
