Obama Seeks To Rally Dems In Backyards And On Campuses
The Associated Press reports: “With five weeks left to Election Day, President Barack Obama is trying to rekindle some of his 2008 campaign magic on college campuses while also devoting more time to a relatively new format of backyard visits that give him time to explain his policies in cozy, unhurried settings. The two-step strategy, which will play out in four states Tuesday and Wednesday, confronts Democrats’ two biggest needs: to pump enthusiasm into young supporters who may stay at home this fall, and to persuade undecided voters that Republican alternatives are unacceptable.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with at 12 p.m. ET with a family in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and hold a discussion on the economy at 12:15 p.m. ET. He will depart form Albuquerque at 2:20 p.m. ET, arriving at 4:35 p.m. ET in Madison, Wisconsin. He will attend a Democratic National Committee fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. ET, and deliver remarks at a rally at the University of Wisconsin at 7 p.m. ET. He will depart from Madison at 8:20 p.m. ET, arriving at 9:15 p.m. ET in Des Moines, Iowa.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will meet in the morning with senior advisers. He will travel in the afternoon to State College, Pennsylvania, and at 2 p.m. ET he deliver remarks at a rally. Afterwards, he will travel to New York City. At 5:30 p.m. ET, he will attend a fundraising event for Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias. He will return to Washington in the evening.
U.S. Sends Mideast Envoy Mitchell To Try To Save Peace Talks
Reuters reports: “Palestinians held fast on Tuesday to their threat to quit peace talks with Israel if settlement building does not cease, giving a U.S. Middle East envoy a final chance to try to save the negotiations…U.S. President Barack Obama’s Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, was due to meet Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak later in the day in Tel Aviv. He was also expected to hold talks with Netanyahu and Abbas over the next several days.”
As Laws Shift, Voters Cast Ballots Weeks Before The Polls Close
The New York Times reports: “At least one-third of all ballots across the country this year will be cast before Election Day, party officials said, reflecting a steady rise in early voting that is profoundly influencing how political campaigns are conducted in many parts of the country. Democrats, who have been quicker to take advantage of the technique in the last two election cycles, say that a voting window of 30 days could allow them to win votes from people who might not otherwise cast a ballot and help level an enthusiasm gap that threatens their Congressional majority. Republicans concede being slower to adjust to the changes, but said they have stepped up their efforts in what they hope will be a strong year for the party.”
Pelosi Puts Heat on Chairmen
Roll Call reports: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a rare appearance before a meeting of Democratic committee chairmen last week to make a direct, pre-election appeal for cash. The California Democrat used the session to chide the senior lawmakers for not doing enough to try to maintain the majority; she said the bulk of them — two-thirds — have yet to meet their Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee dues goals for the cycle. ‘She said, ‘Your money was budgeted for; you owe us this money,” according to a Democratic lobbyist familiar with the meeting.”
Spending Game Intensifies for Parties
CQ reports: “he next few weeks are critical in the chess match the House campaign committees are playing when it comes to deciding how to maximize their resources and where to spend millions in independent expenditure funds. For House Democrats, October brings the reality that strategists will soon begin making more public moves to financially cut loose vulnerable incumbents.”
