Conservative
Type 40
Big trouble in little DC, folk
Democrats fret over President's re-election odds
Democrats fret over President's re-election odds
Democrats are expressing growing alarm about President Barack Obama's re-election prospects and, in interviews, are openly acknowledging anxiety about the White House's ability to strengthen the President's standing over the next 14 months.
And in a campaign cycle in which Democrats had entertained hopes of reversing losses from last year's midterm elections, some in the party fear that Obama's troubles could reverberate down the ballot into congressional, state and local races.
"In my district, the enthusiasm for him has mostly evaporated," said Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Ore.
His own economic advisers concede that the unemployment rate, currently 9.1 percent, is unlikely to drop substantially over the next year, creating a daunting obstacle to re-election.
"The alarms have already gone off in the Democratic grass roots," said Robert Zimmerman, a member of the Democratic National Committee from New York, who hopes the President's jobs plan can be a turning point. "If the Obama administration hasn't heard them, they should check the wiring of their alarm system."