US election: Barack Obama rallies to remind voters of star power Mrs Obama, the First Lady whose popularity ratings, at 69 per cent, far exceed her husband's, will also attend the rallies, in a sign of her growing political stature after four years championing safe issues of war veterans rights and healthy eating for schoolchildren. "She plays a special role on the campaign trail," said Jim Messina, the Obama campaign chief, "She can speak to the President's character and his steady hand during times of crisis. She can tell stories about what this administration's accomplishments have meant for millions of Americans. Mr Obama has tried to boost his own popularity ratings which hover below the 50 per cent mark, embarking on a string of personal appearances, including an appearance this week on a late night comedy show where he "slow jammed the news" with the host, Jimmy Fallon. The performance, which many pundits adjudged crossed the fine line between 'cool' and 'cringeworthy', was attacked by Republicans as further evidence that Mr Obama is all 'dazzle' and celebrity, in contrast to Mr Romney's sober, substantive approach. That message was rammed home by a television advertisement montaging Mr Obama's best 'performances' - including his recent rendition of the opening bars of an Al Green classic "Let's Stay Together" - before asking: "After Four Years of a celebrity president, is your life any better?" The Obama campaign has mounted its own attacks on Mr Romney's character and record, accusing him of being a 'flip-flopper' with no core beliefs. Mr Romney, the former boss of venture capitalist firm Bain Capital, has also been pinned with the label of heartless management consultant whose first instinct is to favour the interests of the Wall Street banks and the super-rich that many blame for the 2008 financial crisis. "His business career was not about job creation, it was about wealth creation for himself and his partners," Mr Axelrod said, "There's nothing in his business record that suggests he'd be a champion of building an economy that works for the middle class."