DEMOCRATS Fret Aloud Over Obama’s Chances – NYTimes.com

President Obama before speaking on jobs plan at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Va. on Friday.

Democrats Fret Aloud Over Obama’s Chances

By MICHAEL BARBARO, JEFF ZELENY and MONICA DAVEY

Published: September 10, 2011

Democrats are expressing growing alarm about President 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.

Elected officials and party leaders at all levels said their worries have intensified as the economy has displayed new signs of weakness. They said the likelihood of a highly competitive 2012 race is increasing as the Republican field, once dismissed by many Democrats as too inexperienced and conservative to pose a serious threat, has started narrowing to two leading candidates, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, who have executive experience and messages built around job creation.

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 Mr. Obama’s troubles could reverberate down the ballot into Congressional, state and local races.

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