UPDATED: Obama coming to city Friday

President Barack Obama will visit Charlottesville on Friday to stump for U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, a freshman Democrat who is fighting to hold onto his seat against GOP nominee Robert Hurt in Tuesday’s election.

Obama will hold a rally Friday evening at the Charlottesville Pavilion on the Downtown Mall. It will be free and open to the public, though no bags or signs will be permitted. Gates open at 5 p.m.

Perriello issued a statement Tuesday that confirmed Obama’s visit and said he is seeking a second term to continue working with Obama toward economic recovery.

“As Virginia families face tough times, this election is a choice between those who hid on the sidelines behind their powerful corporate donors and those who stepped up to the plate with solutions to stabilize the economy and move America forward,” Perriello said. “The president and I disagree on some issues, but we agree that America cannot return to the failed Bush-Hurt policies that brought our great nation to the brink of economic ruin.”

Word of the president’s visit to Charlottesville drew immediate attacks from Republicans on Tuesday.

“For the better part of two years, Congressman Perriello has repeatedly sold out his constituents to support Barack Obama’s job-killing agenda,” said Andy Seré, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “Now – in conjunction with the seven liberal special interest groups currently airing ads on the congressman’s behalf – here’s his payoff.”

Perriello’s camp maintained Tuesday that Obama is not coming because Perriello has been a rubberstamp for the president’s agenda, noting that Perriello broke with Obama on financial reform, the federal budget, Wall Street bailouts, trade policy and gun control.

Obama praised what he views as Perriello’s independent streak last week at a town hall meeting at George Washington University.

“There’s a candidate in Virginia, Tom Perriello, who’s a great guy. … His is not a traditionally Democratic district,” Obama said. “But he’s just done what’s right. And there have been times where he disagreed with me, and he criticized me, but he always did so from a place of principle.”

On the president’s top domestic priorities, however, Perriello has sided with Obama, voting in favor of the economic stimulus package, health care reform and the clean energy bill known as “cap and trade.”

Hurt’s campaign issued a statement Tuesday afternoon “welcoming” Obama to the district, suggesting that the visit will convey to voters that Perriello has been “nothing more than a lap dog.”

“We gladly welcome President Obama to the 5th District as he campaigns on behalf of his favorite congressman, Tom Perriello,” Hurt campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said. “His visit will further solidify the idea in the minds of voters that Congressman Perriello has been nothing more than a lap dog for the job killing Obama-Pelosi agenda, representing their interests, not the interests of Central and Southside Virginians. The Obama-Perriello rally will be a great time for the pair to explain to voters how their failed policies have led to over 11,000 jobs lost in the district, skyrocketing debt, a government takeover of health care and an intrusive federal government.”

Obama’s visit is clearly designed to fire up voters in Charlottesville, a reliably Democratic stronghold in the northern part of the historically conservative-leaning 5th District, which runs from the Charlottesville region down to Danville and Martinsville.

Isaac Wood, a House race analyst with the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said Obama’s rally will undoubtedly pump up Perriello’s base.

“A presidential rally has an unrivaled ability to fire up the troops and an election eve stop is particularly valuable,” Wood said. “Perriello could certainly use an enthusiastic base as he searches for volunteers and reminds his supporters to come out to the polls.”

On the other hand, Wood said, Hurt’s campaign will seek to use Obama’s visit to tie Perriello more closely with the president, who is deeply unpopular with conservatives and many independents.

“Conservatives will also be even more excited about heading to the polls, now that they know their vote against Perriello will be a direct affront to Obama’s wishes,” Wood said.

According to polling firm Rasmussen Reports’ Daily Presidential Tracking Poll, 43 percent of Americans strongly disapprove of Obama’s job performance, while 28 percent strongly approve.

What will the net effect of Obama’s visit be on Virginia’s 5th District race?

“Who knows?” Wood said. “Obviously, Perriello’s campaign feels like it will be a net gain for them. With Perriello seemingly trailing, albeit narrowly, he needs a game-changer to shake up the race. This is big news and could be a significant boost for Democratic enthusiasm, although it will still remain well below 2008 levels.”

Two years ago, Perriello narrowly defeated six-term incumbent Republican Virgil H. Goode with a scant 727 votes. While it is often suggested that Perriello rode Obama’s coattails into office, Republican presidential nominee John McCain actually carried the district. Perriello won 1,721 more votes than Obama.

Obama’s campaign did, however, draw an unprecedented number of new voters to the polls in 2008, especially young and minority voters. Perriello’s camp is hoping Obama’s rally on Friday will encourage many such voters to return to the polls in support of Perriello on Tuesday.

Friday’s rally will not be the first time Obama has taken a hand in Virginia’s closely watched 5th District race.

Perriello’s campaign has been running a radio ad in the Charlottesville market that features Obama asking his listeners to “take the time to vote for Tom Perriello on Nov. 2 or we risk losing all that we’ve fought so hard for.”

Hurt’s campaign, meanwhile, released a new TV ad over the weekend featuring Obama’s praise of Perriello from his town hall at George Washington University. The ad, titled “The White House’s Favorite Congressman,” notes that Perriello has voted with the president 90 percent of the time.

“We’ve lost 11,000 jobs since he voted for their jobless stimulus and spending trillions more, adding to the national debt,” the narrator says.