Voters and the economy

Obama's major message has been to blame the economy's failings on the previous administration, and has charged his predecessor with driving the economy into a ditch.

But 18 months after his election, Americans are no longer linking their economic woes to the previous administration, said Dan Mahaffee, special assistant to the president at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

Indeed, the recession is increasingly seen as belonging to Obama, and voters' choices at the polls are widely expected to mirror that sentiment.

According to recent a Gallop survey that asked respondents to name the most important issue facing the United States today, 33 percent cited the economy in general and 28 percent said jobs.

Dissatisfaction with government came in at 11 percent; followed by 7 percent who cited the federal budget deficit and 6 percent who pointed to healthcare, according to the poll.

Making matters worse for Democrats is that some indicators predict a rise in unemployment. While the official numbers will not be released until Nov. 5, polling organization Gallup on Monday predicted a sharp increase in the jobless rate of between 9.7 percent and 9.9 percent October, from 9.6 percent the previous month. That could reinforce voters' association of the current administration and Congress with the poor economy in the days leading up to the midterms.

And while the "underemployment" number - the percentage of people working part time but seeking full time work - has not increased, Gallup believes that could be because some part timers are losing their jobs and dropping out of the workforce altogether.

The jobless rate is also forecast to remain above 9 percent until the end of next year and may not return to pre-recession levels for several more years, some experts said.

Some voters could still be wooed

Mahaffee said the best tactic for Obama would be to galvanize African Americans and young people as he did in the 2008 presidential elections.

John Fortier, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said the best Obama could do is to continue to help raising money for candidates in close races. In such races, some last minute deciders could make a difference, he said.

Around 15 percent to 20 percent of voters might be expected to make up their minds in the last two weeks, he said.