As midterm elections loom, Obama out of sight

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Obama is not on the ballot this November but to the dismay of some Democrats he's talking like he is.

On the Al Sharpton Radio Show on Monday, he said: "A lot of the states that are contested this time are states that I didn't win. The bottom line though is, these are all folks who vote with me, they have supported

The comments on Al Sharpton's radio show came as Democrats in red states try to distance themselves from the president. His 42-percent approval rating nationally is even lower in Republican-leaning states that will decide control of the U.S. Senate . . . Like Kentucky, where Senate candidate Allison Lundergan Grimes has appeared with former president Bill Clinton but won't even say if she voted for Mr. Obama.

"Every Kentuckian has that right for privacy at the ballot box," Lundergan Grimes said.

Even candidates who invite Obama like Maryland's Democratic nominee for governor Anthony Brown reserve their TV ads for that other Democratic president.

On TV, it's President Clinton, not President Obama, stumping in ads for the candidate.

The Obama phenomenon drew adoring crowds and Democratic candidates galore in 2006, 2008 - and as president in 2010 and 2012. Not anymore.

So far this cycle, he's headlined just two rallies and 61 fundraisers. At this point in 2010..another tough mid-term election, he had attended seven rallies and 60 fundraisers. He would go on to attend 17 rallies and 69 fundraisers before election day.

The president will attend five more rallies over the next two weeks. But none involve tight Senate races. Privately, White House officials believe a visit from Mr. Obama could boost Democratic turnout in Colorado, North Carolina and Georgia. But, so far no one has called.