Obama supports Creigh Deeds, who trails in Va. governor race

For his second Deeds rally, Obama chose Norfolk. Nearly half of the city's population is black, and it is at the center of Hampton Roads, one of the state's most competitive regions.

In the Democratic primary in June, Deeds won every congressional district in the state except the one that includes parts of Richmond and Hampton Roads, which have high concentrations of black voters. A pair of prominent African Americans, former governor L. Douglas Wilder and Sheila Johnson, the wealthy co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, have hurt Deeds's chances among blacks by withholding their support.

About 15 percent of all likely voters in Virginia are African Americans this year, with about 89 percent favoring Deeds, according to the Post poll. Last year, 20 percent of all voters were African American, with 92 percent favoring Obama, according to network exit polls.

Seven in 10 Virginia voters said their views of Obama will not be a factor in their choice for governor, according to the poll. The rest are about evenly divided between those who say their vote will be motivated by their desire to express support for the president and those who want to voice opposition to him.

Four years ago, President George W. Bush joined Republican candidate Jerry W. Kilgore for an election eve get-out-the-vote rally, but the last-minute effort appeared to make no difference, as Timothy M. Kaine (D) soundly defeated Kilgore.

Obama and Deeds were joined Tuesday by Kaine, a close friend of both men, in addition to Democratic candidates for attorney general and lieutenant governor, Steve Shannon and Jody Wagner. The president told the crowd -- mostly ODU students -- that Deeds would run in the mold of Kaine and former governor and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).

"In one week, you'll have a choice on whether to break that tradition of good stewardship or continue with that opportunity," Obama said. "You'll have the opportunity to elect someone who is cut from the very same cloth as Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. Someone who listens to folks even when we don't agree. Somebody who focuses on short-term politics but on a long-term vision, and that man is Creigh Deeds."

Staff writer Rosalind S. Helderman and polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.