U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan on why she lost: Obama didn’t do enough for me

The Story

Like just about every other Democrat in the country, N.C. junior senator Kay Hagan lost her re-election bid last month. Now, she’s blaming President Obama.

The Facts

– Hagan lost by 2 percentage points to N.C. Speaker of the House Thom Tillis.

– The race, inundated with nasty TV ads, was the most expensive U.S. Senate campaign in history, topping $110 million.

– In an interview with McClatchy Newspapers reflecting on why she lost, Hagan pins it on the prez. She blames him for failing to convey how well the U.S. economy is doing, how middle-class families are thriving, how gas prices are low and stocks are high and jobs are rebounding.

The Quotes

“The president hasn’t used the bully pulpit to get that message out in a way that resonates with people.” – Hagan

“Hagan had a zillion dollars. She had internal polling out her wazoo. If embracing Obama was a winning strategy she’d have known it and done it.” – CharlotteObserver.com commenter

C5’s Take

Ummm, we distinctly remember Hagan distancing herself from Obama during her campaign. In fact, it’s what just about every Democrat did this year. And now it’s his fault, for not helping you?

Photo: John Simmons / Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published December 4, 2014 at 5:17 AM with the headline "U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan on why she lost: Obama didn’t do enough for me."