Mediaboss Marketing

Running away from an unpopular president of your own party is a time-honored tactic in midterm elections. The problem is that it rarely works.

That is even truer than usual for the current crop of endangered Senate Democrats. Their efforts to distance themselves from President Obamas record rather than defend it has become a source of friction with the White House.

Ive always believed that its not an effective strategy to run against a president of your own party, unless youve been actively opposed to that president, said David Axelrod, who was Obamas top political strategist in his two presidential campaigns and a senior adviser in his White House. Youre going to get tagged with it anyway.

With so many Democrats trying to suggest a distance from Obama that doesnt exist, Axelrod added, its natural for the president and his team to be a little frustrated.

Another senior Democrat who advises the White House, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the current feeling among Obama and his aides is exasperation.

He doesnt think they have any reason to run away from him, the adviser said. He thinks there is a strong message there.

The president has hinted at the tension in recent remarks. Make no mistake, these policies are on the ballot, every single one of them, Obama said earlier this month. He restated the obvious a few weeks later in a radio interview when he said of the Democratic senators who are struggling this year: The bottom line is ... these are all folks who vote with me; they have supported my agenda in Congress.

Those comments spawned a barrage of Republican attack ads and a bout of frustration with Obama among Democrats at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. Even Axelrod deemed the first one a mistake, telling NBCs Meet the Press, I wouldnt put that line in there.

But a new issue of Congressional Quarterly brings fresh evidence that Senate Democrats have maintained a tight formation behind the president, even as his approval ratings have sunk. It analyzed the 120 Senate votes on which Obama has urged a yes or no this year, and found that the most vulnerable Democrats stood behind him a minimum of 96percent of the time.

Those kinds of numbers have become standard fare in Republican ads and speeches, but they stand in contrast to the Democrats own campaign rhetoric. Colorados Mark Udall (99percent support, by CQs count) has said that he is the last person they want to see coming at the White House, while Alaskas Mark Begich (98percent) has described himself as a thorn in [Obamas posterior]. Theres times when Im a total thorn, you know, and he doesnt appreciate it.

Read more:
Can Democrats hold the Senate by running away from Obama and their own records?