Even the most ambitious presidential candidates cannot be everywhere; the major parties’ nominees rely on surrogate operations, deploying prominent figures in key areas to campaign on behalf of the candidates. This is a normal part of any modern presidential race.
What is not normal is the divide that is clearly visible in 2024: one of the candidates has heavyweight surrogates who can attract an audience, while the other does not.
On the one hand, there is Donald Trump, who has certainly – albeit reluctantly – increased the pace of his campaign appearances. His running mate, Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio, also maintains an active schedule.
But beyond the members of the GOP ticket itself, the list is quickly thinning out. There are plenty of partisans appearing on Trump’s behalf in media interviews, but in terms of public events, the Republican surrogate operation includes… Donald Trump Jr.?
On the other hand, there’s Vice President Kamala Harris, who doesn’t take days off, and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is just as active.
Their surrogate list, meanwhile, includes both of their spouses, who regularly hold public events. The list includes incumbent President Joe Biden, who has been campaigning, and first lady Jill Biden, who will campaign in Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days.
Bill Clinton, meanwhile, will headline a few events in Georgia and North Carolina in the coming days, and Hillary Clinton is expected to make an appearance as well.
Did I mention that independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has a significant following of his own, is also heading out? Because he is.
And then of course there is a man named Barack Obama.
If you missed the former Democratic president’s remarks in Pennsylvania, they are worth watching in their entirety.
As The New York Times reported shortly afterwards, “The speech Obama just gave in Pittsburgh was as personal and emphatic as any he has ever given during his campaign. Discussing his upbringing — he was raised by his mother and grandparents — Obama spoke of masculinity and strength, addressing male voters who were attracted to Trump.
“Real strength is about helping those who need it, and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves. That is what we should wish for our daughters and sons. And that,” he said, his voice rising, “is what I want to see in a president of the United States of America.”
Obama, who also stars in one unbelievable number of television ads in support of the Democratic Congress candidatesis also scheduled to headline a similar event in Arizona and Nevada next week.
As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to eloquence and the ability to motivate a crowd, there’s really no one in Obama’s category — except perhaps Michelle Obama, who may also soon be campaigning on behalf of Harris.
Team Trump could try to compete, but they won’t. As became clear at the Republican National Convention, the party’s focus is on one person — and no one else — resulting in a rather dramatic surrogate divide.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
