MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- President Obama's chief political adviser is calling President Barack Obama's road to re-election a "Titanic struggle."

And David Axelrod also concedes that the Democratic president doesn't have the wind at his back.

Axelrod shared his stark assessment on the next election with a crowd of New Hampshire politicians and business leaders Tuesday morning. Despite the challenge, he jabbed the field of Republicans jockeying for the chance to face Obama in 2012.

Axelrod notes that not one of the candidates defended a gay soldier when he was booed during the last presidential debate. And he says the Republicans have clung closely to the tea party line.

Their plans to fix the economy, he says, are the same plans that led to the economic downturn.