Cory Booker, Deval Patrick expected to campaign for Doug Jones in Alabama's Senate race

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post




By Sean Sullivan December 7 at 12:58 AM

Democratic Senate nominee Doug Jones and his allies are finalizing plans to bring in several high-profile current or former African American elected officials, including Sen. Cory Booker, to campaign for him this weekend in Alabama as he wages an aggressive final push to turn out black voters in a Tuesday special election with national stakes.

Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.) has been leading the effort to organize a slate of Sunday campaign events including a rally in Birmingham that is expected include her, Jones, Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), according to Sewell spokesman, Chris MacKenzie and a Jones campaign official.

A third Democrat who was familiar with Booker’s plans confirmed that he intends to campaign for Jones in Alabama. Former Massachusetts Democratic governor Deval Patrick also plans to campaign for Jones in Alabama, according to his former chief of staff, Doug Rubin.

Sewell is also trying to cement plans for Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.) and Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Ga.) to campaign for Jones on Sunday, MacKenzie and the campaign official said.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/12/06/cory-booker-expected-to-campaign-for-doug-jones-in-alabama-senate-race

[SHRED]

1. I think..

Moore would love this.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Was about to post this in the other thread you had that was deleted re: Booker

Booker has campaigned for some time - but is mostly receptive in the north. The south is a whole 'nother place. IMHO there is over a century and a half of generational PTSD going on in the black community (like in Mississippi). They have battled and battled and battled but still haven't "won" that much yet.

[Sedona]

3. It would be nice to see President Obama make an appearance.

...just sayin'

[karynnj]

4. Not sure given how demonized he is in Alabama

What might be great is if President Obama records a strong endorsement for a robocall to Democrats, that could be made very close to election day urging them to vote.

An Obama visit might bring racist Republicans out of the woodwork to vote -- even as it brings out African Americans. I would bet that if a visit (or a robocall) were possibilities, that Jones' strategists are trying to figure out the net gain on this. All the opinion polls depend on model estimates of voter turnout. It is hard to guess for this election - is either side energized? Would Obama change that for either, both or neither side?

Anyone from Alabama have any insight?

[DAMANgoldberg]

5. I would love to see it...

but this is Alabama, remember. Doug Jones did the right thing by bringing VP Joe Biden in. Also Rep. John Lewis (native of Alabama) another smart move.

Prediction: (Alabama resident until undergraduate college graduation) Doug Jones wins.

[karynnj]

6. Great to hear -- and I hope you are correct

I had not heard that John Lewis went. As one who has never even stepped foot in the state, I have absolutely no feel for whether one side of the other will surprise people by turning out much more or much less than is assumed in the models. Not to mention, if either side will get more people from people who get to the voting booth -- and just can't vote for the person they thought they could - either because they really do believe that he is guilty of what he is accused of or - for the other - because no matter how clean he is, he is a Democrat.

I also wonder if the abortion issue is overstated this time. It did play a big role in 2004 and a role in 2016. Both those years were years when the person elected would replace a departing CONSERVATIVE Supreme Court. In both cases, that appointment would move the court to the left versus where it was. President Obama replaced 2 liberal SCJs with liberal justices and abortion was far less an issue in 2008 and 2012. Given Gorsuch ultimately replaced Alito - the ideological make up is at a high level what it was in 2003. (Obviously, a good case exists that the liberal justices might be less liberal than the ones they replaced and the conservative ones more conservative.)

At any rate, with the Republicans controlling the Presidency, Jones winning and having to run again in 2020, who wins is completely unlikely to impact the Supreme Court. Trump, Pence or any Republican to be named will be President until January 2021 and they will not nominate anyone who is prochoice.