Why Obama campaigning for Clinton is unusual — and historic

Libby Nelson · Wednesday, July 27, 2016, 10:36 pm

President Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention tonight won’t be his last on behalf of Hillary Clinton. As he gets ready to leave office, he’s going to be spending plenty of time on the campaign trail, persuading voters to elect the woman who’s essentially planning to govern as a third Obama term.

Obama is clearly eager to get on and make that case. Not only is electing a Democratic successor crucial to preserve his policies and legacy, but Obama also seems to get a particular charge out of attacking Donald Trump — something he’s already done at graduation speeches and on campaign-style stops.

But in doing so, he’s engaging in an activity that few incumbent presidents have ever done. Obama is the rare two-term president who is both healthy enough and popular enough to campaign for his potential successor. The only parallel that comes close is Ronald Reagan campaigning for George H.W. Bush in 1988 — a parallel that augurs well for Clinton, particularly because Obama is campaigning harder than the 77-year-old Reagan did.

That said, it’s still unclear if this strategy will work or backfire. Making the case that Clinton will essentially amount to a third Obama term is politically risky. Obama, though, seems to think it’s worth the risk.

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http://www.vox.com/2016/7/27/12289506/obama-clinton-campaign