# Is Obama's stumping for Hillary Unprecedented **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 21, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484 "2016-09-21T03:42:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/41 "2016-09-21T16:35:55Z")
Yeah, it’s a bitch when racists get called racists, and bigots get called bigots. I am so prejudiced! Republicans have been pushing this mindset for years. But with the Trump candidacy, they’re Now deeming you prejudiced for calling stupid people stupid people. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/42 "2016-09-21T16:43:06Z")
Oh for God’s sake. There was no need to bring racism into this thread at all except for some reflexive mental instinct you apparently have. ---
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/43 "2016-09-21T16:55:30Z")
kaylasdad99, I have been quoting a lot of fact check sites to him but that doesn’t seem to slow him down. I could use a good economic analysis cite of Trump’s wall idea, which my friend is highly in favor of. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/44 "2016-09-21T17:49:28Z")
The President’s top duty is to protect the national security of the U.S.A. Right now, the possible election of Trump is, by far, the most urgent danger. Obama would be remiss if defeating Trump were not one of his major objectives. Let’s hope that the Bushes, Romney, and other sentient Republicans also do their duty. (Your friend may answer “That’s just your opinion. Some of us ‘think’ Hillary is the danger, not Trump.” No, it’s time to grow up and not treat every stupid opinion as a lovely snowflake. The Earth is round; evolution is real; 2+2 is 4; Americans voting for Trump are morons.) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/45 "2016-09-21T18:01:27Z")
> [@by-tor](#): > > kaylasdad99, I have been quoting a lot of fact check sites to him but that doesn’t seem to slow him down. > > I could use a good economic analysis cite of Trump’s wall idea, which my friend is highly in favor of. Save your breath: [The backfire effect;](http://bigthink.com/think-tank/the-backfire-effect-why-facts-dont-win-arguments) Why Facts Don’t Win Arguments Basically, if you correct someone like your friend using factual information, you merely end up pushing him to rationalize his choices, ignore your facts and actually increase his ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/46 "2016-09-21T19:01:57Z")
I _ **love** _ how fired up Obama got in his recent speech, saying it would be a personal insult to him and his legacy if Hillary didn’t win. > **[Obama: Would be 'personal insult' to legacy if black voters don't back Clinton...](https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/17/politics/obama-black-congressional-caucus/)** > > President Barack Obama delivered an impassioned plea to the African-American community Saturday night to help stop Donald Trump, saying he would consider it a "personal insult" to his legacy if black voters didn't turn out for Hillary Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/47 "2016-09-21T19:33:05Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > No, it’s nonsense. [Here](http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/ci_9398962)’s an article (one of many) about GWB stumping for McCain. And [here he is](http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/talking_politics/documents/02460732.htm) doing the same for Romney. And [here](http://web.stanford.edu/class/polisci179/ABCNEWS_com%20%20Clinton%20to%20Stump%20(a%20Little)%20for%20Gore.htm)’s an article about Bill Clinton stumping for Gore in the 2000 campaign. IIRC, there was some criticism about Clinton not stumping ENPOUGH for Gore during that election. or at least in the aftermath. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/48 "2016-09-21T19:34:49Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Obama seems to be pulling out all thee stops for Hillary though. Has any previous president stumped _this hard_? He stumping against Trump. However hard he is trying, its not fucking hard enough. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/49 "2016-09-21T20:03:26Z")
> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#): > > I would argue that there are basically three factors in having a sitting president stump for you as their successor: > > 1. Whether the president is sufficiently popular to actually help you; > 2. Whether the president wants to or is capable of stumping for you; and > 3. Whether you want the help or not. > > . . . Another unprecedented factor here is that Trump is explicitly running on undoing everything Obama has achieved during his term. This isn’t the usual campaign tactic for someone attempting to replace a fairly popular incumbent, and it makes sense that Obama would react to it. All of that is true. I think that it’s also true that social media is making it appear that Obama is campaigning harder, just because it’s where everyone sees it. In the near past, presidential stump speeches would get maybe half a minute on the nightly news and a few newspaper articles. If you weren’t specifically looking for it, you wouldn’t notice it. Now, even if you’re trying to ignore the campaign, someone is sending you daily updates with links to polished video clips. It pings our minds’ Availability heuristic. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/50 "2016-09-21T20:23:52Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > The President’s top duty is to protect the national security of the U.S.A. Right now, the possible election of Trump is, by far, the most urgent danger. Obama would be remiss if defeating Trump were not one of his major objectives. > > Let’s hope that the Bushes, Romney, and other sentient Republicans also do their duty. > > (Your friend may answer “That’s just your opinion. Some of us ‘think’ Hillary is the danger, not Trump.” No, it’s time to grow up and not treat every stupid opinion as a lovely snowflake. The Earth is round; evolution is real; 2+2 is 4; Americans voting for Trump are morons.) That’s the rebuttal. It’s not unprecedented for a Democratic President to oppose a Republican candidate. What’s unprecedented is when so many prominent Republicans, including two former Presidents, oppose a Republican candidate. That shows that there are things about Trump that are seriously wrong. Donald Trump is not simply another Republican candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/51 "2016-09-21T21:04:08Z")
> [@by-tor](#): > > kaylasdad99, I have been quoting a lot of fact check sites to him but that doesn’t seem to slow him down. > > I could use a good economic analysis cite of Trump’s wall idea, which my friend is highly in favor of. No, you could use better friends. What, you think a Trump supporter gives two shits about the facts? I hate to be that guy, but… No. They don’t. If they did, _they would not be voting for trump_. They care about… I dunno, I want to say eating paint chips and being racist. If your friend does not show any interest in changing his views based on the facts, just drop it. It’s not worth the frustration. ---
**Author:** ![nocrater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/96bed5/32.png) [@nocrater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocrater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/52 "2016-09-21T22:01:17Z")
drumpf being an unprecedented menace, requires unprecedented measures of campaigning against him. Obama is carrying out the defense of this country by campaigning against the drumpf. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/53 "2016-09-21T22:18:36Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > IIRC, there was some criticism about Clinton not stumping ENPOUGH for Gore during that election. or at least in the aftermath. As others have said, that was largely at the discretion of the Gore campaign. There was internal tension about how much to use Clinton, if at all. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/54 "2016-09-21T22:46:38Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > …\ > > There is a maxim in politics, which is about inventing maxims. Trump could say that he believes than an incumbent second term president should (as part of the duty of office) refrain from engagement in the election. This is a risk free thing. He isn’t a second term president. It sounds like a logical idea, and he could market this as a new, apparently reasonable, maxim. His only risk is the he eventually does become a second term president, and **someone remembers that 8 years before he said that he shouldn’t engage in the election.** 8 years is an eternity in politics. > > There is a long and inglorious history of such maxim invention. Trump would not be exactly the first to try it on. My bold. This would not be a problem for Trump as he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about being consistent. Hell, he changes position within the same paragraph. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/55 "2016-09-23T08:32:12Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > No, you could use better friends. This. You might as well just ask him why he hates America, and cut your losses. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/56 "2016-09-23T19:31:10Z")
> [@by-tor](#): > > My pro-Trump friend is annoying me with attacks on Obama and Hillary. One of his contentions is that no sitting president has stumped for their preferred successor (and that Obama is the devil incarnate for doing so). > > So, is he correct that it is unprecedented? If not, can you share some contrary examples that I can give him? Tell your friend no SCOTUS nominee has ever languished for as long as Garland has, no presidential nominee has ever called on foreigners to hack their opponent, no party has ever purposefully lowered the credit rating of the US, no Senator has ever filibustered their own bill, no law has ever had 60+ fruitless politically charged attempts at being overturned with no chance of success, no party has ever invited a foreign head of state in secret to publicly denounce the goals of our president, no Congressmen ever apologized to a private business for its own ecological disaster, and no House committee has ever confessed to wasting millions of dollars and years in investigating an admitted partisan scandal for the sole purpose of lowering the approval rating of a possible future presidential nominee. Then tell your friend that if he supports a party that does even ONE of those things, he’s a moron. That he supports a party that does all of those and more should make him unqualified to ever judge what Obama and Clinton are doing. Then slap him across the face. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/57 "2016-09-23T22:17:01Z")
> [@by-tor](#): > > kaylasdad99, I have been quoting a lot of fact check sites to him but that doesn’t seem to slow him down. > > I could use a good economic analysis cite of Trump’s wall idea, which my friend is highly in favor of. Is there a plan for the wall, besides its going to be really big and Mexico will pay for it? Is there a big small business tax cut or not? Trump told the small business group one thing and the people who evaluated the cost of it another. What is the immigrant plan again? When did Trump decide Obama was born in the US, and what convinced him? Ask your friend if he things Trump is right for using other people’s money, donated to his charity, to pay his business obligations and to buy paintings that hang in his clubs. Not to mention Trump U. Has Trump found anyone yet who actually went who made money? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/58 "2016-10-04T17:40:14Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Obama has no choice. He swore an oath to protect the United States from all threats, foreign and domestic. Actually, he didn’t: [Oath of office of the president of the United States - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States) Joe Biden did, though: [Oath of office - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office#Federal_Executive_and_Legislative_Branch_Oaths) > [@septimus](#): > > The President’s top duty is to protect the national security of the U.S.A… According to his oath, no, it’s not. But there should be no conflict between one priority and the other. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484/59 "2016-10-05T21:21:32Z")
Well, the other unprecedented thing that probably should be mentioned here is that I’m not aware of another case where the opposing party’s nominee had a long history of making personal attacks on the honor of the sitting president. Trump screamed for years about Obama’s parentage and claimed he was lying about his birth. I’m aware of no parallel case where a sitting president had every reason to be angry on a personal level with the opposition nominee, not just on a political sense. Remember [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TwRmX6zs4)? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obamas-stumping-for-hillary-unprecedented/766484.md?page=2)