Poll: Obama, Romney locked in tight race

By Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Anthony Salvanto, Fred Backus and Steve Chaggaris

President Obama continues to hold a very slight lead over Mitt Romney - within the margin of error - according to a new CBS News poll released today.

Forty-eight percent of likely voters say they'll vote for Mr. Obama, while 46 percent support Romney, virtually unchanged from our last poll taken in September. The poll was conducted between Oct. 17-20, after the presidential candidates' second debate on Oct. 16.

Eleven percent of likely voters are uncommitted now, as they are either undecided or could still change their minds about who to vote for. These voters could swing the race either way.

Romney's voters are more enthusiastic about voting this year than the president's supporters - 58 percent of Romney voters say they're more enthusiastic about voting this year as compared to past elections, 39 percent of Obama voters say that. Slightly more of them are paying attention to the campaign.

Who is Supporting Who?

The poll also shows a narrowing of the gender gap. Women have given the President a nearly double-digit lead in many polls, including the September CBS News/New York Times Poll. Now, however, women support Mr. Obama by five points, 50 to 45 percent (down from 12 points last month); the race is even among men - tied at 47 percent.

• Poll: Obama's lead in Ohio narrows
• Poll: Ahead of third debate, Obama leads on foreign policy

Some vote patterns from the 2008 election seem to be holding steady: Romney has a 14-point lead among white voters, 54 to 40 percent, while Mr. Obama is the choice of more than nine in ten African-American voters.

Each candidate gets strong support from their respective political parties and the president has an edge among independents, 46 to 42 percent.

Play Video

Ohio voters split on Obama's performance, Romney's past

Mr. Obama leads with voters under the age of 45, with 55 percent of voters in that age group supporting him, but the race is close among senior citizens: Romney has a slight lead, 48 to 45 percent. Medicare funding and Social Security have emerged as key disagreements between the two campaigns in the last month.

The gap between white college graduates and non-college graduates continues. Romney has a 20 point lead with white voters who did not attend college; it is a closer race among whites who have a college degree - Romney leads 50 to 45 percent with that group.

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[DanerMuhlig]

I'm not "into" politics...I'm "into" what is right and
against what is wrong!
God's Word is 100 perfectly clear. It says Gay,
Homosexuality and Lesbianism is sin and Gays,
Homosexuals and Lesbians will not go to Heaven
...they will go to Hell. Read 1 Cor.6:9,10/Rev.21:8.
[Don't get mad at me...God said it, not me].

God's Word calls homosexuality degrading of the
body, shameful, indecent and perversion!!
Read Romans 1:24-32. Degrading! Shameful!
Indecent! perversion! [Not very "sweet" huh?]

"Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave
themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They
serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment
of Eternal Fire." Jude 7. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah
was homosexuality! According to God Gays, Homosexuals
and Lesbians are going to suffer the punishment of Eternal
Fire!! [Ouch! Bring a lot of suntan lotion! Ha!].

Jesus condemned homosexuality when speaking about
"sexual immorality" in Mk.7:21-23. This word sexual
immorality means, illicit [immoral, unethical] sex. Whether
it is prostitution-sex, adultery-sex, incest-sex, LESBIAN-sex
or HOMOSEXUALITY-sex. Jesus said sexual immorality
including homosexuality makes a man "unclean, defiled
and polluted!" Mk.7:23. [They are spiritually dirty! Yuk!].

Heb.13:4 says, "Keep the marriage bed undefiled,
uncontaminated, unsoiled, for God will judge the sexual
immoral." Jesus Christ defines marriage as between a man
and woman "A man will leave his father and mother and
be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
Mt.19:4-6. Notice not "a man should be united with a man"
or "a women be united with a woman." NO! God will judge
the sexual immoral. Sexual immorality includes GAY,
HOMOSEXUALITY and LESBIANISM and because it is NOT
between a MAN and WOMAN who are married. [One man,
one woman. Not one man, one man or one man, four
men or one woman, one woman plus six more woman].
God set the rules and God will judge all sex outside of the
marriage bed! Keep the marriage bed uncontaminated.

No one is born Gay, Homosexual or Lesbian anymore than
someone is born a child molester or born a murderer or born
a thief...IT IS A CHOICE! We are all born with a choice. People
CHOOSE RIGHT or WRONG! People choose to live for God or
for themselves and darkness! We all have the choice to choose!

Make a stand for what is right! Make a stand for what is good
and pure! Stand against those who promote what is perverted!
Stand against people who promote what is wrong and Leaders
who ignore God's written Word! You will be held accountable!

I love Gays, Homosexuals and Lesbians! They are welcome
in my house! [Just not in my bed! Ha!]. They are welcome
at my dinner table! I lay down my life for them!! I love them.
But I also love them enough to tell them the truth!
Love homosexuals with 100% love, love, love...but also tell
them the truth because the truth can set them free!! [Jn.8:32].

Gays, Homosexuals and Lesbians need to go back "into the
closet" and fall on their knees and wash their dirty hands and
perverted hearts and scream out to God for forgiveness and
freedom and RADICALLY SELL OUT THEIR SOULS and LIVES
to the living God...who loves them!

[Humex12]

ok lets get this right about polls and how they are created.
is it that poll where 1000 phones called are made. [Gallup completes just over 1,000 interviews to represent a nation of more than 270 million.] This is some ******** less than five hunderd people on both sides, lets be real about this race and not try to make it a ufc fight.. Romney really dont know where his next lie is coming from himself, until his social media app tells him are could that be the google map that is not working by not telling him he has 48% of the voters from his iphone device..give me a break.....

[smartalecq]

Romney appeared in the Jay Leno show, and he said that getting health insurance while with a pre-existing condition is unfair to insurance companies.

Now in the debate, he says he is going to cover pre-existing conditions.

CHOOSE AN ANSWER:
A. flip-flop
B. reboot opinion
C. say anything to get elected

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCTGJDrHr9w

[smartalecq]

George Washington - I cannot tell a lie.
George Bush - I cannot tell the truth!

Romney - I cannot tell the difference!

[smartalecq]

a joke: "a conservative and a liberal walk in a bar. oh it just romney."

[smartalecq]

romney's dynamic personality has confused everyone.

[hillzhaveays]

DerekMid replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Ann if you've been paying attention as you claim and you're still undecided. You're simply not very intelligent and/or you're a **** poor decision maker. How many times does Romney have to lie or flp flop for you to see reality.
______________________________________
Derek, the only people voting for Obama are dumba** drop outs who don't understand math or gullible idiots who actually believe the tripe he peddles. Which one are you?

[Jesse_Livermore]

I am Canadian so I am not directly affected. But I watched all three debates, and Romney reminds me of a used car salesman who will say whatever he feels is necessary to sell you a car...or in this case your future.

I think that the American economy is just starting to recover and no matter what Obama had done, it would have taken at least four years to dig out of the hole the country was in.

I don't believe Romney can be trusted because of his history of flipping sides depending on his audience. I hope the Americans can see through this guy and give Obama another term instead of change just for the sake of it.

Besides, who wants a president named Mitt? ;-)

[democraticnation]

Great comment jesse_livermore! I totally agree with you!

[smartalecq]

exactly.

[topnike]

Romney is not ahead All this crap is being made up by his camp to discourage people. Romney has flipped flopped so much even at the last debate he received the pants on fire award this week. The tea baggers along with oh God (Donald Trump when is that guy going to give it up) are trying to make people think Romney is ahead in actuality he's not even close.. That's why Chris Christie made this hugh announcement prior to the first debate about how we would see this great shift in numbers they are trying every game in the book.....VOTE OBAMA!!!!!

[smartalecq]

donald trump is as credible as his hair.

[annesd123]

I am still undecided. Take healthcare. Romney still tends towards minimally invasive free-enterprise style for healthcare that was pre-Obamacare, except with vouchers for seniors and high-risk pools. The problem with that is that it doesn't fix the glaring problems of healthcare. I am employed but was laid off at some point and know what it is like to get individual coverage with a minor pre-existing condition (GERD). There were only a few insurance companies even willing to insure me, and it was very expensive. I was shocked since all I really had was acid reflux. A voucher will not fix that. My problem with Obamacare is that it seeks to expand Medicare in 2014 to 30 million more people. Medicare is severely fraught not just with fraud but in nuanced ways also abuse. My mother was admitted into the hospital for some drug complications. She was in there even after she was no longer hooked up to IV, machines, or undergoing any tests, it was like a very expensive hotel. The hospital loved having her there, we had to ask to take her home. Now we want to expand this system to include 30 million below the age of 65 who are within 133% of the poverty line. Seniors are not so savvy about working the system. This 30 million coming in probably more so, First fix Medicare, then expand it. Don't add fuel to the fire. Once we put 30 million more people on Medicare can we take that back? First fix healthcare, then make it an entitlement. Both candidate are advocating ideological extremes. The debates showed me how talented both candidates are. Work together to come up with a reasonable plan.

[DerekMid]

Ann if you've been paying attention as you claim and you're still undecided. You're simply not very intelligent and/or you're a **** poor decision maker. How many times does Romney have to lie or flp flop for you to see reality.