Obama: "I Love Elections! It’s so much fun!"

OBAMA, IN 2006:

"My goal is every candidate I campaign for, I want to win. Every single candidate. I love elections! It’s so much fun! It’s even more fun when you’re not on the ballot.”
Senator Barack Obama in 2006 expressing exuberant joy after watching the election results of the midterm elections. Obama had just finished traveling coast-to-coast on behalf of Democratic candidates, and the Democrats had taken control of both the House and the Senate

NOVEMBER 3, 2009:

"President Obama is not planning to watch Tuesday nights election returns, Obama aides Robert Gibbs and David Axelrod tell CNN. Obama is more likely to watch Tuesday night's Chicago Bulls game than any political coverage, according to Axelrod."
CNN's Political Ticker - November 3, 2009

GIBBS, KEANE: ELECTIONS WEREN'T A REFERENDUM ON OBAMA. DEMOCRATS WERE DEFEATED BECAUSE VOTERS WERE UNHAPPY WITH THE ECONOMY:

"The White House distanced itself Wednesday from Democratic losses in two states, saying the races for governor hinged on local issues and were not a referendum on President Barack Obama... White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that voters in both states went to the polls to work through "very local issues that didn't involve the president." The presidential spokesman said that voters were concerned about the economy...
AP

"Democratic Party chairman Tim Kaine said Mr Obama remained popular and that the party's losses reflected voter anxiety about the economy and jobs."
BBC

OBAMA AND THE ECONOMY:

"Public approval of Obama’s handling of the economy has slipped to 46 percent in an Oct. 30-Nov.1 CNN poll from 59 percent in March. Three elections today, for governor in New Jersey and Virginia and to fill a House seat in upstate New York, may provide an early test of voter sentiment about Obama..."
Bloomberg News - November 3, 2009

"Independents were a critical part of Obama's victory [for the presidency] in Virginia, New Jersey and across the country. But after more than a year of recession, they [independent voters] fled from Democrats in the two states, where the economy trumped all."
AP - November 4, 2009

OBAMA

"More West Virginia voters disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as President than those who approve. According to a new voter opinion poll being released this week by MBE, 51% of registered voters in the state disapprove of the job President Obama is doing while 45% approve. One in five (20%) “strongly”approve of the president’s job performance and 36% strongly disapprove."
MBE [pdf] - September 1, 2009

"39% [of Virginia voters] say Obama campaigning for Deeds in Virginia makes them less likely to vote for the Democratic candidate. Just 24% say it makes them more likely to vote for Deeds, and 36% say it has no impact on their voting decision."
Rasmussen Reports - October 28, 2009