Obama slammed for 'campaigning against Black woman' Winsome Earle-Sears as Virginia race tightens

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Virginia Democrats appear to be doing damage control. What was once supposed to be an easy victory lap for Abigail Spanberger’s gubernatorial campaign is now turning into a nail-biter, complete with an emergency rescue mission from former President Barack Obama himself.

Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, was seen as a runaway favorite for the state’s top job just a few weeks ago. But now, it seems her campaign’s momentum has been sideswiped by party scandals and an identity crisis that’s giving her Republican rival, Winsome Earle-Sears, a much-needed boost.

In fact, the Spanberger camp called in the cavalry by inviting Obama to headline a rally with her next Saturday, as new polls show Earle-Sears closing in fast.

But the optics are not great. Critics blasted Obama for what they see as a glaring double standard, especially after his past comments scolding Black men for failing to back Kamala Harris.

Spanberger's campaign struggles as Earle-Sears turns up the heat

The Spanberger campaign’s troubles started earlier this month when Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones found himself in hot water over vile texts wishing death on former Republican Speaker of the Virginia House of Representatives.

Spanberger condemned his words but stopped short of demanding that Jones drop out of the race. That half-measure made her look weak to both moderates and progressives.

Meanwhile, former Marine and current lieutenant governor Earle-Sears has been capitalizing on the chaos. She has been making women’s safety her rallying cry, jumping headfirst into the state’s heated debate over transgender rights after a convicted sex offender identifying as a woman exposed himself in a Northern Virginia locker room.

This appears to have reflected in the polling numbers. Spanberger’s once commanding nine-point lead has dropped to just seven, according to a new poll from Virginia Commonwealth University. The survey shows Spanberger holding 49 percent of registered voters to Earle-Sears’ 42 percent, down from her stronger September showing.

Earle-Sears mocked Spanberger’s decision to bring in the big names. “If Abigail really believed those polls, she wouldn’t be flying in half the Democrat Party to save her," she quipped in a Saturday Newsmax interview. “You can tell more about a campaign from their panic than from any poll.”

Clintons, Obama, and McAuliffe to the rescue

Obama isn’t the first Democratic heavyweight drafted into Spanberger’s campaign.

Earlier this month, Bill and Hillary Clinton headlined a record-breaking fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, that pulled in a jaw-dropping $2.2 million. It was the “largest gubernatorial fundraiser in Virginia history,” according to Politico.

The October 13 event was hosted by former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe at his home and packed more than 350 donors into the estate’s ballroom.

Obama officially endorsed Spanberger on October 16 and plans to campaign with her in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region on November 1, just days before voters hit the polls.

Obama’s endorsement of Spanberger draws backlash

Critics on social media fumed after Obama’s trip was announced. Many accused the former president of hypocrisy for “campaigning against a Black woman” after lecturing voters for not supporting Harris.

One X (formerly Twitter) user posted a video calling out Obama for slamming "Black men for not supporting Kamala Harris," but later campaigning "against a natural born Black woman in Virginia."

"Obama criticized men for not supporting a Black woman in the last election—now he’s heading to Virginia to urge people NOT to vote for a Black woman," another wrote.

"Seems like only yesterday Barack Obama was scolding 'the brothers' for not supporting a black woman for president. Now he’s headed to Norfolk to urge 'the brothers' to vote for a rich white lady over Winsome Sears, a black woman from Jamaica and a former Marine. If only Sears had a D after her name…" someone else chimed in.

"This is the most blatantly hypocritical thing I have ever witnessed. He can't have it both ways. He was never for the people yet they still blindly follow him," a tweet read.

"Unfortunately, this is what it took for people to see it…" another remarked.

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