‘Despair not an option’ Obama fires up anxious Democrats

When Barack Obama came to campaign last week, Emma Berlage wouldn't have missed him for the world. "It's a Friday night... and everybody's here," the 24-year-old said.

- David Smith

"After he was president he's continued to stay cool and very popular with Democrats." Obama has played many parts in America's political life - new hope, history maker, elder statesman. Now he had arrived as would-be saviour. The first Black president was in Atlanta, Georgia, to fire up voters ahead of midterm elections that will decide control of Congress and perhaps the fate of American democracy. Opinion polls suggest that the contest is slipping away from Joe Biden's Democrats in favour of a Republican party still in thrall to Donald Trump.

Among the worries is low enthusiasm in the Democratic base. A recent poll by Politico-Morning Consult found that just 25% of Black registered voters describe themselves as "extremely enthusiastic" about voting in the midterm elections, compared with about 37% of white voters and 35% of Hispanic voters.

If anyone can turn the situation around it is Obama, who was greeted by a largely Black crowd of more than 5,000 people with nostalgic cheers and chants. Joe Biden, by contrast, with job approval ratings in the low 40s, has been keeping a low profile on the campaign trail.

Tide turning