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US President Barack Obama - Source: Reuters -
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President Barack Obama went on a last-ditch rescue mission for the Democrat who trails in next week's election for Virginia governor, a race that threatens to hurt Democrats nationally.
Democrat Creigh Deeds is trailing in the polls behind Republican Bob McDonnell in the campaign to succeed Democratic Governor Tim Kaine in Virginia, which was once solid Republican territory but has been trending toward Democrats in recent years.
"Let's be honest. This is going to be a tough race. I mean, we've got a tough economy, and even if it wasn't a tough economy, it's always tough in Virginia," Obama told thousands at Old Dominion University. "But even though Virginia's moving in the right direction, this is an evenly split state - pretty independent-minded folks. And that's good. That's healthy."
A Republican victory next Tuesday would give the party signs of strength it seeks to regain congressional seats in nationwide November 2010 elections after demoralizing losses in 2006 and 2008.
Some analysts were likely to see a Democratic loss as a referendum on the Obama presidency, a prospect the White House dismissed by pointing to a poll in The Washington Post that said most Virginia voters did not see their vote as a judgment on Obama.
McDonnell led in the Post poll by 55% to 44% for Deeds.
"Reports of my demise are much exaggerated," Deeds told the rally. "If you believe and I believe and we believe together, we are going to win this election."
One challenge for Democrats has been to generate the same kind of voter enthusiasm for Deeds as they did in electing Obama last November, the first time a Democratic presidential candidate had won the state since 1964.
There have been reports of frictions between the Deeds campaign and the Obama White House. The Washington Post reported recently that senior Obama administration officials were dismayed by Deeds' campaign, that he and his aides had ignored their advice.
Obama showed no sign of that friction in trying to drum up some support for Deeds, saying while he's not perfect, with his frizzy hair and rumpled suits, he will make a great governor.
He urged Virginians not to give up.
"Some of ya'll didn't think I was going to win," Obama said. "So now here we are a week from Creigh Deeds' election and a lot of people are saying, 'Oh the polls aren't looking the way we want them to'...and folks are kind of staying home."
"I don't believe in 'can't,'" he said. "I don't believe in giving up. I don't believe that we would turn our back on the progress Tim Kaine has made here in Virginia."
In another governor's election next Tuesday in New Jersey, Republican Chris Christie is about even in opinion polls against the incumbent Democratic governor, Jon Corzine, in a race that has centered around New Jersey's weak economy.
Obama is to visit New Jersey on Sunday to try to push Corzine over the top.
