MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Political scientists have had trouble finding any precedent of a sitting president publicly backing his preferred successor.
“We can’t think of the last time a president was really making clear that he was going to be out there campaigning for his nominee. It didn’t really happen under Clinton, Bush, Reagan, or Eisenhower. We can’t think of the last time it has ever happened. Maybe Theodore Roosevelt,” recollected Scott Crichlow, the chair of the WVU Department of Political Science.
In 2008, Clinton lost a bid for the Democratic nominee for president to Obama but was chosen to serve as Secretary of State during his term.
Obama offered no particular candidate endorsements prior to the primary election. According to Crichlow, though, Obama and Clinton may have had a pact to support one another in their respective runs.
“You definitely sort of saw some signs that the President didn’t really want anyone else to run against her. So, it seems like this is, if not a formal agreement, sort of a respect and planning that’s gone on for a while.”
Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren have also endorsed Clinton.
Crichlow suggested on WAJR’s Morgantown AM, democrats may be relieved to pick a favorite in their party.
“Okay, this is over. Let’s all get on the same team right now. Let’s support Secretary Clinton and focus on fighting Donald Trump,” Crichlow predicted Clinton supporters are thinking. “So, even if Senator Sanders himself isn’t ready to move on quite yet, it’s clear the base of the party’s leadership is.”
There’s still no expectation of West Virginians to get on the Clinton campaign trail. But, Obama’s backing could help her elsewhere.
“While obviously the President isn’t very popular in West Virginia, among democrats nationwide he’s extremely popular. Across the country as a whole, his popularity is over 50% right now,” Crichlow assessed. “I think the more he campaigns for her, it will help coalesce party support.”