White House: Tuesday's GOP wins not about Obama

WASHINGTON — The White House says that Republican wins in two governors' races were not referendums on the president.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday that voters went to the polls in Virginia and New Jersey to work through "very local issues that didn't involve the president." The presidential spokesman said voters were concerned about the economy.

"I don't think the president needed an election or an exit poll to come to that conclusion," Gibbs said.

By contrast, Gibbs acknowledged that the 2010 midterm congressional elections will be more about the Obama agenda.

Republicans turned aside Democratic candidates in both Virginia and New Jersey, raising questions about the limits of the president's influence on his party's base of support and on the moderate lawmakers he needs to advance his legislative priorities.

Gibbs noted that Democrats did win two special elections for congressional seats, in California and New York.

Gibbs said Obama telephoned both Democratic losers, incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey and candidate Creigh Deeds in Virginia, Tuesday night. But Gibbs said Obama has not yet called the two GOP gubernatorial winners because he wanted to let them celebrate with family and supporters.

The president had campaigned for both Corzine and Deeds in recent days.

The White House sees no need to recalibrate its legislative agenda or message based on the results of the governors' races or the swing of independents in this election toward the GOP, Gibbs said. And he expressed no concern that the election results will make conservative Democrats on Capitol Hill more skittish toward backing the president's agenda as they head toward their own re-election bids in 2010.