MIDTERM MADNESS

Obama: 'Keep on Hoping'

Tries to recapture '08 magic with large rallies.

It was much easier for President Obama two years ago. And, as he scrambles around the campaign trail now to stump for struggling Democrats, he has become all too aware of it. With his approval rating 18 points lower than when he took office, Obama is trying to make voters remember why they were so excited in 2008. "I need you to keep on believing. I need you to keep on hoping," Obama said Friday at the University of Southern California, a stop on his whirlwind five-state tour. "We are going to restore the American dream for not just some, but for every, every, everybody in this great land." He has even brought back, “Yes We Can!” And, just as he did when he ran for office, he is sticking to some elaborate metaphors. This time around, it’s about pushing a car (the country) out of a stinking, muddy proverbial ditch while the Republicans sit around, expecting the keys. “And you can't have the keys back,” Obama finishes. “You don't know how to drive.”