Obama looks to rally base for Mass. governor

[October 16, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has a warning for Democrats: Even in the most reliably liberal states, no candidate is guaranteed a victory in this volatile election season.

Obama was heading to Boston on Saturday to headline a rally and fundraiser for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, his longtime friend and political ally. Republicans have tried to use Patrick's close relationship with the president to unseat the governor, who is seeking a second term.

Less than three weeks before the Nov. 2 elections, Obama is campaigning coast to coast, raising money for candidates and looking to energize Democratic voters, whose enthusiasm has waned since the 2008 election. While the White House says it still believes Democrats will retain control of the House and Senate, a sputtering economy leaves the political climate perilous for the president's party.

During a stop Friday in Delaware, a left-leaning state where Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons holds a solid lead over tea party-backed Republican Christine O'Donnell, Obama said no outcomes should be taken for granted.

"There is no doubt this is a difficult election," Obama said. "This is a tough political environment."

It's a lesson Obama learned firsthand in Massachusetts earlier this year when he swept in to make a last-minute appeal for Martha Coakley, the Democrat seeking the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat. Despite Obama's backing, Coakley was soundly defeated in the special election by her Republican challenger, Scott Brown.

Even though Massachusetts is among the nation's most liberal states, the last four governors before Patrick were Republicans. Massachusetts voters have opted for GOP governors as a hedge against perceived excesses by the Democratic-run state Legislature.

A new poll from Suffolk University and WHDH-TV shows Patrick with a 7-point lead over Republican challenger Charles Baker. Patrick is also being challenged by independent Timothy Cahill, whose candidacy threatens to split the anti-Patrick vote.

Patrick shares Chicago roots, a Harvard pedigree and political consultants with Obama. They've been ardent political supporters of each other, with Obama campaigning for Patrick during his first gubernatorial campaign, and Patrick returning the favor by endorsing Obama in his presidential bid.

[Associated Press; By JULIE PACE]

AP Political Writer Glen Johnson in Boston contributed to this report.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.