Polls: Swing states deadlocked, Romney tied or ahead nationally

Several new state and national polls released Friday show a presidential race that remains deadlocked only 12 days before the election. The candidates split an advantage in swing states, while one national tracking poll shows the candidates essentially tied and another national tracking poll shows Republican nominee Mitt Romney slightly ahead.

New swing-state surveys from the Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist show that the race remains tied in Colorado while President Obama holds a slim lead over Romney in neighboring Nevada. Meanwhile, a Fox News poll shows Romney ahead by two points in Virginia, and a survey from the American Research Group (ARG) puts the president ahead by two points in Ohio.

Each new swing-state survey yielded results within the margin of error, underscoring just how close the race remains at this late date.

In Colorado, both candidates garnered support from 48 percent of respondents in Marist's poll of likely voters. The president's lead among Colorado women has nearly evaporated, with only three points separating the two candidates among women in the Denver suburbs. Romney has expanded his lead among Denver's suburban men, who now favor the Republican by 13 points, up from 6 points in last month's poll. The Colorado poll surveyed 1,128 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent.

In Nevada, continued robust support from likely Hispanic voters gives the president a narrow three-point advantage over Romney, 50 to 47 percent. Latinos comprised 16 percent of the survey respondents and broke decisively for the president, 74 to 23 percent. The Nevada poll surveyed 1,042 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

Fox's latest Virginia survey shows Romney ahead of the president among likely voters, 47 to 45 percent, in the Old Dominion. The results are a stark turnaround from Fox's last Virginia poll, which showed the president outpacing Romney by seven points, 50 to 43 percent, only a month ago. The Fox poll surveyed 1,126 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

Meanwhile, a new ARG poll of likely voters in Ohio shows the president clinging to a slim two point advantage over Romney, 49 to 47 percent. The ARG poll surveyed 600 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus four percent.

Nationally, the race remains close, with one poll showing the race basically tied and another showing Romney clinging to a slim edge over the president.

Today's national tracking poll from Washington Post/ABC News both shows Romney with a statistically insignificant one-point lead among likely voters nationwide, 49 to 48 percent. Yesterday, the same poll gave Romney a three-point edge, 50 to 47 percent, over the president. The Washington Post/ABC News poll surveyed 1,382 likely voters between October 22 and 25 and had a margin of error of plus or minus three points

And finally, today's Gallup tracking poll shows Romney opening up a five-point advantage among likely voters nationwide, 51 to 46 percent. Yesterday's Gallup tracking poll gave Romney a three-point edge. Gallup's tracking poll surveys roughly 3,000 voters over a seven-day period and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 points.

[nawnie]

I believe everyone should vote. Vote for the candidate you think will do a better job. I am so tired of those playing the race card. People that have chosen not to vote for Obama again are within their rights and are making that decision on his previous four years, not his race,idiots. Personally, after the Benghazi attack, I wouldn't vote for any President that didn't step up to the plate. Military cutbacks? The waste starts in the White House. With the middle east continually planning attacks on the U.S., why would anyone want to cut our military. The government isn't doing very much for the veterans as it is...where would we be without our military? Obama can give all the tax breaks he wants but where are those few bucks you're saving going to get you when we get attacked and have no military to defend us? The white house should start their cutbacks with the Congress and the Senate. How about making them pay social security and making them use Obamacare. Give them the same retirement plan as any other civil servant.

[turtlebeans]

I just want to say as a person with a degree in economics, the effect that the presidency has on economics is minimal, at best. Whether you subscribe to classical theory or Keynesian, there is just not much a president's policies can do without a change in the mentality of the businesses and consumers. People will always act rationally where their dollars are concerned, so that is what one should expect. A government should not have the same agenda. A government should be concerned with helping all of its citizens lead better lives. One more thing to note is that any effect that a president's policies lag. A 4 year term is not enough time to tell a difference in even a smooth-running economy, much less one that was in a recession. Please do not believe that Mitt Romney has some sort of magic bullet for the economy. It just is not true.

[wagmorebarkless]

As you go to the polls on Tuesday, please remember this: In 2008, the Republican Party chose Sarah Palin over Mitt Romney for the Vice Presidential candidacy. If Mitt Romney was not worthy of being the Vice President, why is he now a worthy Presidential candidate? Answer: well, it's easy, because he is not.
Please do your homework, compare both candidates, do not succumb to Republican propaganda, and vote smart.

[creatingscholars]

What's all the fuss about, trust the people, if they vote for Romney because of his wealth and color that's on them because this race is about all people. I do know that there are more people who has gone through the same path that Obama has or pretty much simular. Working class folks. Obama believes that all people need equality when it comes to medical care whether they are rich or poor. This is nothing that someone has told me I have personally experienced it when my father was diagnose with cancer. Romney is a lair he is a two head snake if he gets back into the office it will be because of the color of his skin and the amount of money he has. Swish Banks accounts etc. One thing I can say about president Obama he said he would bring the troops home he did, he brought down a man that had killed our people 911. Had he been a white man he would have gone down in History. I sadden what I see in so many Americans. I can see through Romney some people say that storm was to warn the world all this fighting has to stop. Obama was sent here for a reason he has made a difference whether folks want to acknowledge him our not I do and always will. Teresa Moore

[sharkboy234]

i comparing romney to hitler you just seen ap poll around KKK VS ?????
burning cross on the rise! romney is next hitler!

[JV1970]

You're not even making sense and you should learn to use capital letters because no one can understand you!

[hesrperus99]

What, a Republican criticizing someone eles's literacy? Must be a paid plant.

[red_roses--2008]

also the truth about the high and mighty Romney's Bain ventures: 8% of green companies that received stimulus money went bankrupt, 22% of companies Bain invested in while Romney was in charge went bankrupt. Better start FACT CHECKING before you vote for Romney

[zheng-ye]

Are you really that dumb? Bain used PRIVATE capital in its investments. Obamateur is using MY tax money to spread around to his political donors. You are totally dishonest, another BS-er like Barry.

[larkin1974]

Romney is now promising a new car in every garage if you vote for him. But he plans on buying them from China!

[JV1970]

Yes, and I'm the queen of England too! Romney hasn't promised any such thing!

[zheng-ye]

Shame on you Larkin. Spreading lies so your messiah can ruin this country.

[rbaffled]

The troubling thing about this election is the success of the Fox-Murdock news media in molding minds. Both Republicans and Democrats argue from simplistic slogans, but those used by the Republicans are the a clear product of manipulation by corporate interests who are striving to enhance the plutocracy that already wields tremendous control. The biggest lie is the belief, first expressed by Ronald Reagan, that the president is like the head of a corporation who is responsible for its economic success. Heads of major corporations function like virtual dictators working within a relatively narrow competitive environoment. A president cannot act without congressional support and even then his power to effect the the autonomous capitalist economy of the US is very limited as both Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt learned during the Great Depression. The power that Obama has to effect anything economic is even more limited with a Republican Congress determined to say no to every stimulus proposal and the US economy embedded in a global economic system. What a president can do is effect the perhaps distant economic future through signing or vetoing legislation. The Reagan-Bush-Clinton-Bush policy of submitting government regulation of the finance industry to the dictates of Wall Street created a bubble that broke in 2008. Bubbles are an historical characteristic of the American economy and Republicans (and many Democrats) have cheered on repeal of the limited apparatus (Glass-Stargill) that helped restrain them. An equally absurd Republican claim is that high tax rates for the wealthy inhit economic growth. Yet the most propsoerous economics in Europe have the highest marginal tax rates in the world and those in the US were more than double current rates during the prosperous 50s and 60s. And the Republican (Ryan) vision of an ideal state seems to have been realized only by a few African countries in which a corrupt plutocracy dismandeled the colonial government structure resulting in misery for much of the population. The Congo comes to mind. Wealthy, propoerous industrial societies have strong governments which take an active role in guiding the economy and insuring social services for their people. The fact that so many American of European descent by the absurdities of Murdoch-Fox, Limbaugh, Ryan, and other manipulators of opinion suggests that latent racism, perhaps, unconscious on the part of many, has prepared the ground.

[red_roses--2008]

also the truth about the high and mighty Romney's Bain ventures: 8% of Obama's green companies that received stimulus money went bankrupt, 22% of companies Bain invested in while Romney was in charge went bankrupt. Better start FACT CHECKING before you vote for Romney

[Christopher Maurer]

If Romney holds and he carries Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, Florida and Penn.,conceding Ohio, Romney wins. Pretty simple really.

[SurrenderDorothy]

All I know is that in the last four years my taxes have risen and as of this last year, with my income NOT improving, I paid almost $2300 more. I can't continue to do this and survive. The Obama administration does not run like most people have to run their own finances and I, for one, have had enough.

I agree. Dear God, please let Mitt win. We need someone who understands money and how it works for you and requires due-diligent handling, not pandering.

[JV1970]

I totally agree with you! My income is no higher than it was four years ago but my bills just keep going up. I can't afford four more years of Obama! I've had enough too!

[BKM2012]

Yes, Romney understands economy for himself and his rich camaraderies. He arrogantly distances himself from the so-called "47% victims". He vows to allow for 20% tax cuts amounting to be $5 trillions and accelerate the moribund economy to hitherto unheard of "Romneconomics" with 4%-6% growth rate. Increasing his wealth and usrping the profits to Swiss Bank and investing in Tax havens like Cayman Islands, et. al., may be good for Mitt, Ann, their sons and grand kids. Same knowledge cannot be applied for the nation. It needs a different perspective in its entirety both for a healthy, responsible economic growth, employment growth and social justice for women's rights too.