Sen. Barbara Boxer’s campaign has just released a new video featuring President Obama energetically stumping for Boxer.
“I am optimistic,” Obama begins, “because I know there are people like you out there and people like Barbara Boxer in the senate, who’s fighting to change this country for the better.” Saying that Boxer “is passionate about fighting for jobs,” the president continues, “That’s why we’re embarking on clean energy reform to provide incentives for companies building wind turbines and solar panels and green jobs that can’t be outsourced.”
“We’re not only going to rescue our economy, we’re not only going to rebuild it stronger than before, but we’re going to do what generations did before and make the American dream more secure for our children and our grandchildren,” Obama announces.
“That’s what Barbara Boxer is about,” the president concludes. “That’s what you’re about. And that’s why I expect you to be out there making phone calls and knocking on doors and rallying the troops to make sure that you return Barbara Boxer to the United States senate.”
Currently, President Obama’s approval rating in California is at 53 percent, according to a late September Field Poll. That’s significantly higher than 45 percent approval he enjoys nationwide, according to Gallup. That might explain why Boxer is choosing to use an Obama speech in her campaign, even as other Democrats struggle to distances themselves from the president.
The Boxer campaign announced in an e-mail that “an email he [Obama] sent on Saturday to urge grassroots organizers to sign up to volunteer and contribute to the Boxer campaign has already resulted in more than 7,500 sign-ups and more than $55,000 in contributions.”
Boxer campaign manager Rose Kapolczynski clearly hopes that the Boxer campaign can do as well as Obama did in energizing volunteers. “In 2008, Obama volunteers in California played a huge role in getting out the vote in key states all over the country. Now more than 40,000 volunteers are mobilizing to get out the vote in California in 2010,” she said in a statement.
The newest polls give Boxer a three or four point lead in the race, but support remains below the crucial 50 percent mark.