Obama retires to White House as Americans prepare to go to the polls

Feverish campaigning today marked the final run up to the US congressional elections that are expected to strip Democrats of their Washington power base tomorrow.

President Barack Obama, who is likely to have a tough final two years in office if he loses control of Congress, retreated to the White House from a final blitz through four states to await what was likely to be a dismal outcome for Democrats.

The party is suffering deeply from voter anger over near-10% unemployment, lagging economic growth and a burst property bubble that cost millions of Americans their life savings when banks foreclosed on mortgages.

The president’s popularity with Americans, particularly among independents, has fallen off dramatically in his first two years in office. The rough state of the American economy seems to be the prime reason.

Democrats also blame the White House for poor communications, an inability to convince Americans that substantial legislative victories – health care and financial regulatory reform – are benefiting the country.

With voters appearing largely decided on candidates, the president and Democratic heavyweights like former President Bill Clinton have travelled the country exhorting party members to go to the polls.

Democrats are seen as far less likely to vote this year than Republicans, producing a so-called enthusiasm gap that has only compounded the likelihood of a political bloodletting.

Beyond that, history is working against the Democrats this year. The party of the president in the White House historically loses ground during elections at the midpoint of a presidential term.

Mr Obama’s last appearance yesterday also signalled Democrat worries about significant losses in state governors’ races. The president ended a whirlwind weekend political push with an appearance for Ohio governor Ted Strickland and a plea for Democrats to go to the polls tomorrow.

“Don’t let anybody tell you this fight isn’t worth it,” Mr Obama said, ticking off the accomplishments of his first two years in office. “It’s always been hard to bring about change.”

Republicans, bolstered by the ultra-conservative tea party movement, are riding high on Mr Obama’s inability to produce a strong economic rebound from what has become known as the Great Recession, a name that harkens back to the devastating Great Depression of the 1930s.

While the economy is growing again – albeit slowly – and unemployment has stopped increasing, Mr Obama and the Democrats have been unable to make their case with the voters that Republicans were responsible for the downturn and should not be given a fresh chance.

Mr Obama does not face voters again until 2012, a fact that also is believed to have tamped down Democrat enthusiasm even as Republican momentum continued to build – aided by the tea party phenomenon that sprang to life after Mr Obama’s victory two years ago.

The movement’s most visible proponent, former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has successfully sniped at Mr Obama and the Democrats throughout the campaign.

Mr Obama and the Democrats can boast of major legislative achievements – an overhaul of the US health care system and new tougher regulations on the financial industry – but those accomplishments are complex and hard to turn into a simple campaign sales pitch.

The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, was showing a new advert across the country that features Mr Obama warning of record cuts in education and rollbacks in financial accountability if Republicans take control of Congress.

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele dismissed concerns of government gridlock if Republicans refuse to compromise with Democrats on issues such as deficit spending and taxation.