White House: Election Results No Reason to Change

President Obama was in no mood to talk about the election results as he walked from the Oval Office this morning to Marine One idling on the South Lawn.

He ignored pleas from reporters to offer some comment on yesterday's vote that included Republican victories in the only two states with gubernatorial elections: New Jersey and Virginia.

He had campaigned and raised money in both of those states. On three visits to New Jersey, he did five rallies and/or fund-raisers for incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine. And he went twice to Virginia on behalf of candidate Creigh Deeds. Both lost.

The Democratic defeats in the gubernatorial races are a blow to the White House. Press secretary Robert Gibbs admitted Mr. Obama was disappointed "his friend Jon Corzine" didn't win re-election and telephoned him and Deeds to offer words of consolation after their defeats last night.

But the White House challenges any suggestions that the election results reflect voter rejection of Mr. Obama or his agenda.

"People didn't do to the polls to register support for or opposition to the president," Gibbs told reporters this morning at an off-camera briefing in his office.

Exit polls bear him out. In New Jersey, they showed that 57 percent of voters surveyed approve of Obama's handling of his job, while 42 percen disapprove. The margin was tighter in Virginia where 48 percent of voters approve of Mr. Obama's job performance and 51 percent disapprove.
Gibbs says the election results demonstrate voters want to work through local issues "and that didn't include the president."

The White House also portrayed itself as heartened by the results in the two New York and California congressional races decided yesterday. Democrats won both. Gibbs pointed out that the only two candidates elected yesterday who'll be able to vote on the president's policy agenda are Democrats.

Gibbs said it's clear to the White House that the economy was the issue weighing heaviest on voters' minds – and that Mr. Obama shares their concern.

But he made it clear that the election results give Mr. Obama no reason to change course or priorities.

By habit, Mr. Obama didn't watch the election returns on TV last night. He never does, says Gibbs. Not even when he's on the ballot. He might have watched an HBO documentary on his own triumphant two-year quest for the presidency, but Gibbs said Mr. Obama had already seen it on DVD.

To say nothing of having it lived it, as well.

CBSNews.com Election Night Coverage:

Results
All Election Night 2009 Results
Republicans Sweep N.J., Va. Gov. Races
N.Y. Democrat Owens Wins House Seat
Maine Voters Reject Gay Marriage
Breckenridge, Colo., Votes to Legalize Pot
Atlanta's Race For Mayor Heads To Runoff


Analysis
What McDonnell's Win Means for the GOP, Obama
Corzine's Fall Has Been Festering for a While
What Doug Hoffman's Loss Means to Conservatives
Lessons for the White House from '09 Election Results
Why Christie Won in New Jersey
McDonnell Won Due to Turnout, Independents
Exit Polls in Va. and N.J.: The Obama (Non) Factor?
Michael Steele: GOP Has "Found Its Voice Again"
David Plouffe: Obama "Delivering on His Promise"

---

Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/markknoller.