What They Are Saying: Enthusiasm Skyrockets as Terry McAuliffe Campaigns with Barack Obama, Other Top Democratic Surrogates

Democratic enthusiasm is through the roof as Terry McAuliffe campaigns with top surrogates, and the campaign just had their biggest weekend of action and biggest day of grassroots fundraising online yet.

This weekend, McAuliffe supporters knocked on 150,000 doors and made over 1 million voter contacts. Dave Matthews, Stacey Abrams, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, and actor Blake Cooper Griffin campaigned for McAuliffe, and former president Barack Obama offered a “sharp rebuke” of Glenn Youngkin before a crowd of over 2,000 fired-up Democrats.

Here’s what people are saying about McAuliffe’s surrogates, Democratic enthusiasm, and the campaign’s grassroots organizing:

• Axios: “With just over a week to go before Election Day in the Commonwealth, McAuliffe is bringing out the big guns.”

• Virginia Scope’s Brandon Jarvis: “Virginia Democrats are bringing in the big names to boost turnout as poll numbers show a tie ballgame heading into the ninth inning.”

• Politico: “Former President Barack Obama delivered a fiery speech on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University to pump up Dem enthusiasm.”

• Reuters: “Obama fires up Virginia crowd for governor’s race he calls a U.S. ‘turning point.’”

• Associated Press: “Former President Barack Obama offered a sharp rebuke of the Republican candidate for Virginia governor, Glenn Youngkin … Obama described McAuliffe — the state’s governor from 2014-2018 — as an experienced, steady hand and told a crowd of what organizers said was 2,000 people … that the Nov. 2 election would ‘show the country and the world that we’re not going to indulge in our worst instincts.’”

• NBC: “Former President Barack Obama …  framed the Nov. 2 election as an opportunity to decisively reject the rhetoric and politics of another former president, Donald Trump.”

• The Hill: “Obama gives fiery speech for McAuliffe: ‘Don’t sit this one out.’”

• Pollster Carly Cooperman: “When you have these core Democrats, like the Obamas, I think it increases the likelihood of getting Democrats that maybe feel apathetic or maybe don’t want to show up.”

• Pollster Geoff Garin: “Very impressive sign of energy for Terry McAuliffe: ‘This weekend Terry for Virginia knocked on 150,000 doors and made over 1 million voter contacts.’ Virginia, please keep at it!”

“Terry McAuliffe is heading into the final stretch with massive Democratic enthusiasm and a record number of early votes banked in an off-year,” said DGA Communications Director David Turner. “This weekend’s turnout and grassroots organizing prove Virginians know what’s at stake in this election, and they’re excited to vote for McAuliffe and reject the Trump-Youngkin agenda.” 

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