Even the most ambitious presidential candidates can’t be everywhere, major party nominees rely on surrogate operations, deploying prominent figures to key areas to campaign on the candidates’ behalf. This is a normal part of every modern presidential race.
What isn’t normal is the gap that’s evident in 2024: One of the candidates has heavyweight surrogates who can draw audiences, while the other does not.
On the one hand, there’s Donald Trump, who has definitely — albeit grudgingly — picked up the pace of his campaign appearances. His running mate, Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, is also maintaining an active schedule.
But aside from the members of the GOP ticket themselves, the list starts to thin out quickly. There are plenty of partisans appearing on Trump’s behalf in media interviews, but in terms of public events, the Republican surrogate operation includes … Donald Trump Jr.?
On the other hand, there’s Vice President Kamala Harris, who isn’t taking any days off, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who’s every bit as active.
Their surrogate list, meanwhile, includes both of their spouses, who regularly hold public events. The list includes incumbent President Joe Biden, who’s done some campaigning, and first lady Jill Biden, who’ll be campaigning in Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days.
Bill Clinton, meanwhile, will be headlining some events in Georgia and North Carolina in the coming days, and Hillary Clinton is expected to make appearances, too.
Did I mention that independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has a sizable following of his own, is also hitting the trail? Because he is.
And then, of course, there’s a guy by the name of Barack Obama.
If you missed the former Democratic president’s remarks in Pennsylvania, they’re worth watching in their entirety.
Barack Obama’s full speech from Pennsylvania pic.twitter.com/wJk7yBAjYq As The New York Times reported soon after, “The speech Obama just finished delivering in Pittsburgh was as personal and emphatic as any he has ever given on the campaign trail. Discussing his upbringing — he was raised by his mother and grandparents — Obama talked about manhood and strength, and addressed male voters who were attracted to Trump. “Real strength is about helping people who need it, and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves. That is what we should want for our daughters and sons. And that,” he said, with his voice rising, “is what I want to see in a president of the United States of America.” Obama, who’s also starring in an incredible number of television ads in support of Democratic congressional candidates, is also scheduled to headline a similar event in Arizona and Nevada next week. To my mind, when it comes to oratory and an ability to motivate a crowd, there really isn’t anyone in Obama’s league — except maybe Michelle Obama, who might also soon hit the campaign trail on Harris’ behalf. Team Trump could try to compete, but it can’t. As was obvious during the Republican National Convention, the party’s focus is on one person — and no one else — resulting in a rather dramatic surrogate gap.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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