Poll: Romney closes in on Obama

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Fighting a swell of economic anxiety, President Barack Obama has lost much of the narrow lead he held just a month ago over Mitt Romney, and the two now are locked in a virtually even race for the White House, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. The survey also found a majority of Americans disapprove of how the Democratic president is handling a national economy that fewer people think is improving.

Less than five months before the election, 47 percent say they will vote for the president, and 44 percent for Romney, a difference that is not statistically significant. The poll also shows that Romney has recovered from a bruising Republican primary, with more of his supporters saying they are certain to vote for him now.

The economy remains Obama’s top liability. Only 3 out of 10 adults say the country is headed in the right direction, and 55 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy, the highest level detected in AP-GfK polls this year.

Yet, in a measure of Romney’s own vulnerabilities, even some voters who say they support Romney believe the president still will be re-elected. Of all adults polled, 56 percent believe Obama will win a second term. And despite three months of declining job creation that have left the public increasingly glum, Romney has not managed to seize the economic issue from the president, with registered voters split virtually evenly on whether Romney or Obama would do a better job improving it.

The polling numbers come as no surprise to either camp. Both Romney and Obama advisers have anticipated a close contest that will be driven largely by economic conditions. The Obama camp is busy trying to define Romney, hoping it is reaching more independents.

With his Republican nomination now ensured, Romney has succeeded in unifying the party behind him and in maintaining a singular focus on making the election a referendum on Obama’s handling of the economy. Over time, polls that measure Obama’s standing have reflected fluctuations in the economy, which has shown both strength and weakness since it began to recover from the recent recession. The new survey illustrates how an ideologically divided country and a stumbling recovery have driven the two men into a tight match.

The poll results among voters who live in states decided by less than 10 percentage points in 2008 underscore Obama’s challenge. Among those voters in the new poll, Romney has an advantage, a shift from last month when Obama held that edge.