New York Times: 'Democrats Show Obama Their Tail Lights'

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON — Bracing for a difficult election in just over a week, whenthey could lose control of the Senate, Democrats exasperated with the WhiteHouse are already moving to pin blame on President Obama, whomRepublicans have made the centerpiece of the campaign.

Even optimistic Democrats say they have little more than a 50-50 chanceto retain their Senate majority. Senior elected officials, strategists and donorshave begun to openly criticize Mr. Obama, contending that his low popularityand some ill-advised remarks have proved toxic for candidates trying todistinguish themselves from the president to appeal to swing voters.

“It is all Republicans are running on,” Gov. Mike Beebe of Arkansas said.White House, real and imagined.”

Mr. Obama’s loyalists argue the opposite, namely that the presidentcould have helped increase the turnout among the coalition of young voters,women and minorities that he built during his campaigns. They fault thisyear’s political map, heavy on races in states the president lost, as primarilyresponsible for Democrats’ fortunes. And the president’s inner circle alsosays that if Democrats do hold the Senate, it will be because of money thepresident toiled to raise and of the few states — Colorado, Iowa and NorthCarolina — where his campaigns invested millions to develop organizations.

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