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 Obama made the trip from Washington, D.C., to raise money for the
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate to ensure that his race to catch
North Shore Republican Mark Kirk does not slip away in the closing
month of the campaign.
More important, says David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public
Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the
visit will bring some energy to a political party that is suffering
from an enthusiasm gap.
"It could have a positive impact," he said. "The Democrats have to
get their base out, and there's no better person to do that in
Chicago, Ill., than Barack Obama."
The money from the $500- to $2,400-a-plate dinner could be
instrumental in keeping Giannoulias on Illinois' airwaves and
television sets -- both major factors in his climb in the polls.
Suburban Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk had seemed to bury
Giannoulias in the early goings of the campaign, as the Giannoulias
family bank was seized by the federal government last spring. Kirk
used the situation as a bludgeon against the young politician, who
campaigned for the state's top budget job based on his experience at
the bank.
The Republican faltered, however, when he exaggerated his military
record at campaign appearances and on his website this summer.
Kirk's claims provided fodder for a series of attack ads from
Giannoulias, criticizing the Republican for misrepresenting his
record and, by extension, his positions on taxes and job creation.
The money raised by Obama's appearance ensures that Giannoulias, who
has trailed Kirk financially throughout the race, can continue to
capitalize on these perceived vulnerabilities.
The candidates are running neck and neck as the campaign enters its
last three weeks, which makes fundraising and advertising in a
statewide race that much more important.
While the president's appearance will certainly draw cash, it may
not succeed politically. Obama, long hailed as a native son of
Illinois, now finds himself in an awkward situation in the state
that launched him to political stardom. Recent polls indicate that
his approval ratings in Illinois are only at 51 percent, a far cry
from his popularity as a senator and presidential candidate.
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That shouldn't matter to Giannoulias at this point in the campaign,
according to Paul Green, director of the Roosevelt University School
of Policy Studies.
"(His popularity) may be diminishing, but the risk is well worth
taking if he pulls in six figures from this soiree," he said.
Yepsen agreed, pointing out that Obama's popularity in Chicago will
likely be much higher than downstate.
Giannoulias was an early supporter of Obama's run for the Illinois
Senate and the post he now seeks.
But the fundraising stop means a lot more to Obama than just helping
a friend.
"Obama needs a win in Illinois to make sure he gets a Democratic
majority in the Senate, and Giannoulias is running in one of the
most competitive races in the country," Green said. "Politics is
best when it's win-win, and that's what you have with him and
Giannoulias."
Thursday was the second fundraiser Obama hosted in recent months for
Giannoulias. The president drew 400 people to a $1,000-$2,400 dinner
in August.
And the president is not the only Obama stumping for a family
friend. First lady Michelle Obama will make a return to the Windy
City to campaign for Giannoulias next week.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BILL McMORRIS]
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