Just days after speaking at Milwaukee’s LaborFest, President Barack Obama announced Thursday he will once again visit Madison later this month to hold a midterm election rally – his second visit to Madison in the past year.
Details about the location and exact time of the rally, which will be held Sept. 28, have yet to be firmly established. Evan Giesemann, chair of University of Wisconsin College Democrats, said he and his colleagues have communicated with the White House and could co-sponsor the event.
Giesemann declined to say if the event would be held on campus. Representatives from the offices of Gov. Jim Doyle and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said they had not previously communicated with the White House before the announcement.
“We’re obviously very excited the president is coming to Madison,” Giesemann said. “Things are still in the early stages.”
Student Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, who served during the 2008 campaign as the chair of Wisconsin Students for Obama, said he was surprised by the early announcement that Obama will be coming to Madison.
Eagon said Obama has previously announced his visits to Wisconsin with more details but less time to spare. He added more details will likely leak around five days before the event.
Obama, who has in recent months faced mounting criticism about his economic policies, has visited Wisconsin several times since the beginning of his presidency. In his last visit to Madison, Obama spoke at Wright Middle School about his education policy.
More recently, Obama introduced further plans to invest in infrastructure when he spoke to Wisconsin union workers in Milwaukee this Labor Day. While campaigning, Obama drew UW students to the Kohl Center, a possible venue for the rally if it is held on campus.
Democratic candidate for governor Tom Barrett’s campaign said they have not communicated with the White House about a possible Barrett appearance at the rally.
In a statement, Republican candidate for governor Scott Walker said Obama’s visit is because he is frightened of Walker’s candidacy.
“It’s clear the White House is scared because they know we will stop the Doyle-Barrett $810 million train,” Walker said in a statement, referring to the federal government’s funding of a high-speed rail link between Madison and Milwaukee.
Stephen Duerst, chair of UW College Republicans, said it is unlikely College Republicans will hold a high-profile picketing event or another Republican response to the rally. He added campaigning and canvassing efforts for the upcoming midterm elections are his current priority.
Duerst also said he thinks any opposition to the rally from College Republicans will likely be low-key and simple, such as a small demonstration. He added simple campaigning practices, such as knocking on doors and distributing literature, remains the GOP’s priority.
Mike McCabe, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said Obama’s visit to Wisconsin, along with other states such as Pennsylvania and Nevada, is likely motivated by their status as relatively independent swing states in elections.
“I don’t think there’s any better example of a swing state than Wisconsin,” McCabe said. “This state has long had a tradition for being very politically independent – willing to elect either Democrats or Republicans to represent us.”
