Joe Biden is making another trip to Ohio today – his sixth. He’s trying to win back blue collar voters as he speaks at the Iron Workers Local Union.
But there are a couple of big time Democrats running for office this year who suddenly have scheduling conflicts and won’t be able to join Biden on stage.
Via The Hill:
Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Ohio, will not appear with President Biden in Cleveland on Wednesday as the president works to tout a program benefitting union workers.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Nan Whaley will also be absent from the visit. Both Ryan’s and Whaley’s campaigns have cited unavoidable scheduling conflicts.
Biden will be joined by a number of notable Democrats from the Buckeye State, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Shantel Brown, Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and senior White House adviser Gene Sperling will also be in attendance.
The president is looking to boost his standing among blue-collar voters, from whom he has usually enjoyed support.
He will deliver an address at the Iron Workers Local Union No. 17 Training Center and announce an administrative rule from his coronavirus relief package that will allow multi-company pensions to be made financially. The move is supposed to deliver benefits to between 2 million and 3 million workers and retirees.
Let me start by pointing out that Sen. Sherrod Brown is not up for reelection this year, so that’s why he’ll be by Biden’s side.
The other two Democrats who’ll be there, who are up for reelection in November, have both won their past house elections by huge majorities and thus they don’t fear being associated with a very toxic Joe Biden.
In other words, the Democrats who will be standing with Joe Biden are ‘safe’ Democrats.
However Tim Ryan is being challenged by JD Vance and that race is said to be ‘lean Republican’. And Nan Whaley’s race against Republican incumbent Governor Mike DeWine is said to be ‘likely Republican’:
Biden’s approval rating could stand to hurt down-ballot Democrats like Ryan and Whaley running in November’s midterm elections, particularly in a red-leaning state like Ohio. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Ryan’s Senate race as “lean Republican” and Whaley’s gubernatorial challenge to incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine (R) as “likely Republican.”
Ohio Republican Senate nominee J.D. Vance released a statement on Wednesday tying Ryan to Biden and noting Ryan’s absence from the event.
“Ryan has worked in lockstep with Biden to destroy our economy and Ohio’s middle class is suffering today because of it,” Vance said. “But now, for the second time in two months, Ryan is refusing to be seen in public with his own party’s president.”
Vance is exactly right.
Both Ryan and Whaley aren’t going anywhere near Biden because they know he’s the biggest loser not on the ballot. If they show up on stage with toxic Joe Biden, they can kiss any modest chances they might have had to win GOODBYE.