Political Hotsheet
By

Lucy Madison /

CBS News/ May 31, 2012, 12:56 PM

Poll: Obama, Romney neck-and-neck in Colorado, Nevada and Iowa

President Obama, left, and Mitt Romney, right.

(CBS News) As President Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney officially embark on their respective general election campaigns, a new set of polls from NBC News/Marist show the two men neck-and-neck in the crucial battleground states of Iowa, Nevada and Colorado.

The polls, which surveyed more than 1,000 people in each state between May 22-24 via landline and cell phone, show the president and Romney within points of each other in all three states.

In Iowa, each earned 44 percent support among registered voters, including those who are undecided but leaning toward a candidate. In Nevada, Mr. Obama garnered 48 percent support to Romney's 46 percent, and in Colorado, Mr. Obama took 46 percent support to Romney's 45 percent. Mr. Obama's slight edge in Nevada and Colorado fall within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In each of the states examined in these surveys, Mr. Obama had higher favorability ratings than Romney and appeared to benefit from the notion that the American economy is improving.

In Iowa, 48 percent of registered voters said they had a favorable impression of the president, as did 47 percent of registered voters in Colorado and 48 percent in Nevada. Romney's favorability marks in those states were 43 percent, 43 percent, and 44 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, more than 50 percent of voters in each state expressed the belief that America's worst economic days were in the past.

In Colorado and Iowa, however, Romney earned higher marks on the question of who would best handle the economy - the issue that most voters all around gave highest priority. In Iowa, Romney edged out Mr. Obama on the issue 46 percent to 41 percent, and in Colorado he led the president 45 percent to 42 percent. In Nevada, the two candidates were tied at 44 percent.

Romney may also benefit from the perception among voters that America is headed in the wrong direction. More than 50 percent of voters in Colorado, Iowa and Nevada expressed the belief that America is on the wrong track.

All three states are considered highly competitive battleground territories. While Mr. Obama carried each of the three in 2008, George W. Bush won them in 2004.

Last week, separate polls showed Mr. Obama with a slight edge in Florida, Ohio, and Virginia - three other crucial battleground states - though all six races are expected to go down to the wire.

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
8 Comments Add a Comment
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cubscout09 says:
The primaries, which are the polls that count, show record low voter turnout in many states.
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slownewsday_6000 says:
by mikedev75 May 31, 2012 2:33 PM EDT
I'm tired of seeing my hard earned money go down everyday.

----

Then lobby for our military to stop empire building. We have bases in over 127 countries.
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hypnotoad72 says:
The moment we get away from thinking 1,000 people represent over 150,000,000 voters is when I'll believe any of these articles.

I'll wait for the debates, at which point we'll all know of Obama was playing chess or not. It's his biggest and most successful defense, which also makes the ideal offense... if it has been chess, he can then do what he wants as opposed to assisting continued failed policies, because more people know the policies as what they are.
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1988JAck says:
These states really aren't all that important, but of course the media has to stir up something. LOL.
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retiredgustav replies:
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21 electoral vote. When Obama take Texas he will get them back. In the last election he got 44%. That was the highest number a Dem got in Texas since Jimmy Carter.
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RealiteBites says:
Some of this data sounds slightly contradictory?

Unless people mean that they like Pres. Obama personally, but not necessarily professionally. Or that personal likeability isn't necessarily a reflection of who they'd prefer to have as CIC.

And people might think that the worst of the economy's behind us, but that things are still on the wrong track?

I'm not sure these questions were ideal in that they don't seem to capture exactly where peoples' heads are at ... like why is the race tied - are people torn? Torn because they like bits of both, and dislike bits of both? And if so what would tilt things one way or the other? Or are they kind of lukewarm about both and feeling like they neither looks promising and they wish there were alternatives?

I'll bet it's the latter ...
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jwilsonteaolcom says:
and who cares LOL
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summer4all says:
I hope you get your wish, you will not be allowed to vote, you will be denied food stamps LOL when you get fired from your job that will go to Mexico and you or your kids will go to a war with Iran for WMD and I am sure that you and your kids will run to Canada to avoid that, just like Romoney did .He run to France to convert Frenchies to be Mormon's. Didn't work for the French, but worked for Romoney. Be careful what you wish for. All red states now under suppression on anything, you will be irrelevant soon enough and I am sure you will not like it but you might get your wish. I lived in Colorado 10 yrs, Westminster, near Boulder at the foothills and Golden. By Jefferson County Airport. Miss the Mountains and beautiful state. Good luck.
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