Hillarysworld

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS (AP)

DREXEL HILL, Pa. — Victoria Newman is a proud Democrat who says that when she voted for Barack Obama in 2008, it was the most excited she'd been about politics in all her 58 years. But now, Democrats grasping to keep control of Congress will have to do without her.

Newman says she's planning to stay home on Election Day.

As she pays for a package of corn muffins at a grocery store, Newman, a retired state employee, sums up her feelings about voting in November's congressional elections with a dismissive flick of her wrist.

To retain House control, Democrats must find a way to reactivate core supporters and re-energize the independent and new voters who handed Obama the White House and swept Democrats into office.

It's a tall order in dozens of competitive districts where enthusiasm for the president is at a low; even some of his strongest backers aren't motivated to go to the polls.