Can Obama turn out the black vote? STOP THE GOP

With control of Congress hanging in the balance, the president is pushing African-Americans to show up on Nov. 2 Facing a daunting enthusiasm gap, the Democratic National Committee is hoping that heavy turn-out among black voters will help prevent the Republicans from recapturing Congress. Though President Obama's popularity has waned among the broader public, African-Americans still give him a 90 approval rating, and the DNC has shelled out $3 million this year — 10 times more than in 2006 — on black voter outreach. But is it realistic to expect African-Americans to come to the rescue in a year the president isn't on the ballot? (Watch Obama campaign for black voters) Black voters will save the day for Dems: The signs are good for the president's dip into unabashed "racial-solidarity politics" proving "extremely effective," says Charles Blow in The New York Times. A recent study found that eight out of 10 black voters are at least as interested in the midterms as they were in the 2008 election. Obama and his "personal appeals" to the black community could yet "upset the predictions of most pundits."