Presidential Polls 2012: Obama vs Romney in Deadlock Claims New Nationwide Polls

By Jon Campbell, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, October 20, 2012

President Barack Obama (L) and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney share a laugh at the end of the first presidential debate in Denver October 3, 2012. | (Photo: Reuters/Jason Reed)

President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are virtually deadlocked in their race for the White House, according to recent polls released Friday.

With just 17 days to go until the presidential election the Rasmussen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking Poll showed both Obama and Romney gaining 48 percent of voters nationwide. In addition, two percent were undecided, and one percent were planning to vote for another candidate.

According to the Rasmussen Reports, in the few days following the second presidential debate on Tuesday night, Romney has a slight advantage over the president in swing states. The poll's details revealed that in 11 swing states, Mitt Romney had attracted 49 percent of the vote compared to Obama's 48 percent. Again one percent were planning to vote for another candidate while two percent remained undecided.

Likely swing states are: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

On Friday the new daily Gallup poll also showed Romney with the advantage. The Gallup poll gave Romney 51 percent compared to Obama's 45 percent. That large lead was slightly smaller than that recorded by the same poll on Thursday, which gave Romney a seven point lead among likely voters.

The Gallup poll also revealed that Romney leads Obama with a wide margin among voters in the 30-49 year age bracket. The poll claims that Romney leads in that group with 55 percent to Obama's 45 percent.

Interestingly in the latest National Rural Assembly poll, rural voters in swing states are backing Romney by a massive 22 points. That result is a lot larger than in 2008 when Obama lost among rural voters in swing states by just over two points. That big swing away from Obama could prove costly in 17 days time.

Just about every poll has claimed that the economy is the most important issue for voters in this year's elections, and in various polls voters have backed Romney as the candidate likely to handle the economy better than President Obama.