Obama plays pivotal role in Senate race between incumbent Vitter, Melancon
by Stephanie Grace - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Pollster Bernie Pinsonat thinks the best thing to happen to U.S. Sen. David Vitter's upcoming reelection campaign is President Barack Obama. Pinsonat's new survey of 600 Louisiana likely voters backs up that conclusion. The poll gave the Republican senator a 47.6 percent to 35.8 percent lead over his major Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon. It also found that 57.3 percent disagree with the direction Obama is leading the country -- a sentiment that Vitter is doing his best to exploit by relentlessly linking Melancon to his party's president, while highlighting his own opposition to just about everything Obama tries to do. This is exactly the type of campaign Vitter wants to wage. He always seems strongest politically when he has an easy foil, like Edwin Edwards back in Vitter's Baton Rouge days. Among those who share Vitter's conservative ideology, Obama fits the bill. "Obama is affecting the political landscape. He makes it a lot easier on Vitter," Pinsonat said.