It wasn’t supposed to play out this way. Obama’s new politics and electrifying campaign style would energize Democrats and help the party’s down ticket candidates?

Turns out Democrats may be too busy clinging to their guns and religion to get too excited about Obama’s White House bid.

His comments and views about rural America’s "bitterness" expose a major fault line with Democrats’ congressional candidates --a wedge with the potential nominee in key swing legislative districts. It could cause many down ticket candidates to distance themselves from a presidential candidate they believe out of step with the values and ideology of their congressional districts.

"It puts them on the defensive by forcing them to begin answering for the actions of their potential presidential nominee that we know will not be able to carry most of the districts we are targeting," Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee said yesterday.

This Politico story, focusing on vulnerable Democrat Congressman Patrick Murphy, supports Spain’s thesis. "Murphy has also been playing a pivotal role in rallying support for Obama, and he has been attending rallies and making appearances on cable news networks to tout Obama’s candidacy. But while his endorsement gives him short-term exposure, some caution that a too-close association with Obama could backfire in a general election…"

"The only downside for Murphy is if Obama is a bad general election candidate and he get painted as an ultraliberal out of step with the rest of the district." Said Philadelphia-based Democratic consultant Larry Ceisler.

This Roll Call piece bolsters the point. "One of the Obama campaign’s talking points in making their case to Members (of Congress) has been that the Illinois Senator would be better at the top of the ticket than a polarizing figure such as Clinton.

"Democratic pollster Alan Secrest, who regularly works for candidates running in more GOP-friendly territory, said that by November any such advantage will likely prove elusive."

If Obama keeps reminding people he’s really an "elitist," the "advantage" may evaporate a lot sooner than that.