President Obama stumps for Blumenthal at Connecticut fundraiser

On September 16, President Obama made a stop along the campaign trail in Stamford, Connecticut to help raise money for Blumenthal in his attempt to edge out Linda McMahon. Obama noted that although McMahon has pledged a "smackdown" ( a poke at her major experience as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment), the choice between the two candidates is a "no brainer." Politico.com reported that the Blumenthal camp raised approximately $400,000 during this event. Money is a key for success in a close race. It allows the campaign to spend more on valuable resources such as field offices and staff to manage voter contact and volunteer recruitment as well as buy air time for commercials during the stretch run of the race. Furthermore, the fact that the president took time to aid the Blumenthal campaign, in a state he won by nearly 30% over John McCain in 2008, leads one to believe that Obama's popularity can only help boost support for Blumenthal who is still leading by 5-10% in the polls. However, it must be noted that in a race to secure money, Linda McMahon has millions of dollars of her own that she can throw in to the race if she so chooses. Because of this extreme advantage in personal funds, it is crucial for the Blumenthal campaign to raise money through events such as the one on the 16th. Yet, if McMahon can easily outspend Blumenthal, it will be crucial for Blumenthal and his campaign to focus on a field program based on voter contact. By making phone calls and more importantly knocking on the doors of potential voters in Connecticut, the Blumenthal camp can counter the advertizing strength of the McMahon cash cow. How this is executed will prove pivotal in deciding the outcome of this close race.