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Election 2012: Obama, Romney in dead heat – Obama has upper hand
Along with Ohio, they could give the Obama campaign a Midwestern stronghold of 34 electoral votes that protects him against potential losses elsewhere.
“As you look across the country, you are seeing the president is continuing to be very strong in the Midwest in places like Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin,” Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said. “I think we’ve held our support in the Midwest.”
If Obama wins the states where he currently has comfortable leads and adds just those three Midwestern states, he would have 271 electoral votes – enough to be re-elected.
“Until we see something that suggests other states are in play, these Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio numbers mean it’s still a reach for Romney to win,” said Lee Miringoff, a Marist College pollster.
He released surveys on Thursday showing Obama with a lead of eight points in Iowa and six points in Wisconsin, although a survey by Public Policy Polling on Friday gave Romney a one-point edge in Iowa.
Romney campaign aides say they are confident that he has enough momentum in Ohio and other swing states to pull out a win, pointing to his growing crowds and improving poll numbers, including those from the campaign’s own surveys.
“The dynamic has very much changed in the swing states,” said a senior Romney adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The underlying fundamentals in the swing states have changed dramatically in Romney’s favor.”
