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Jason Reed / Reuters
President Barack Obama campaigns at McArthur High School in Hollywood, Fla. on Nov. 4, 2012.
With just two days until Election Day, President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney are running neck and neck nationally, according to the final national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll before the election.
Obama gets support from 48 percent of likely voters, while Romney gets 47 percent.
Read the full poll here (.pdf)
A new NBC poll should give both presidential campaigns reason to hope. Obama comes in at 48 percent; Romney at 47 percent. Taking Sandy into account, 80 percent in the Northeast said they approved of the president's handling of Superstorm Sandy. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
In the NBC/WSJ poll released two weeks ago, the two candidates were deadlocked at 47 percent each.
“This poll is reflecting a very, very close campaign nationally,” says Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart.
“It’s a dead heat,” Hart adds. “This election is going to be decided by turnout, turnout, turnout.”
While both Obama and Romney are running virtually even in this national poll, a majority of surveys from the battleground states – especially in the crucial battlegrounds of Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin – show the president with a slight advantage.
A new NBC poll indicates the presidential race is in a dead heat. Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie may have given Obama a boost when he praised his leadership. NBC's Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory have more.
Good news for Obama: Two-thirds approve of hurricane handling
The NBC/WSJ poll – conducted Nov. 1-3 – contains good news for both Obama and Romney in the final days of the campaign.
For Obama, 41 percent of likely voters say that what they have read, heard, and seen over the past couple of weeks have given them a more favorable impression of president, compared to 40 percent who said it had given them a less favorable impression – which is up from his 38-to-43 percent score on this question two weeks ago.
Read our memo on our 'likely voter' methodology (.pdf)
Both presidential candidates have spent months fighting over nine battleground states, but as the race draws to a close the Romney campaign is trying to expand the battlefield to states that have been reliably blue in recent years. Is this opportunity or desperation? DNC Executive Director Patrick Gaspard discusses.
Part of that more favorable impression is due to his handling of Hurricane Sandy, of which 67 percent of likely voters approve.
By comparison, 45 percent of voters say they have say they have a less favorable impression of Romney from what they have read, heard and seen over the past couple of weeks, versus 40 percent who have a more favorable view.
Yet two weeks ago – fresh off his debate performances – Romney’s score here was tied, 44 percent more favorable, and 44 percent less favorable.
In the latest NBC News/ WSJ poll President Barack Obama has an eight point lead among women, however Mitt Romney has an seven point lead among men. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., joins NBC's Andrea Mitchell to talk about the gender gap.
Comparing 2012 to 2004
In addition, Obama’s numbers in this poll look almost identical to George W. Bush’s in the final NBC/WSJ before the 2004 presidential election, which Bush ended up winning 51 percent to 48 percent.
Obama’s approval rating among likely voters stands at 49 percent – exactly matching Bush’s 49 percent approval in the final 2004 NBC/WSJ poll.
Forty-two percent say the country is headed in the right direction, versus 41 percent who said the same thing in late Oct. 2004.
And the head-to-head score between Obama and Romney – 48 percent to 47 percent – is identical to what it was in the final NBC/WSJ poll before the 2004 election: Bush 48 percent, Democrat John Kerry 47 percent.
“The comparisons between 2004 and 2012 are haunting,” McInturff says.
Good news for Romney: Comfort level, the economy
The good news for Romney in this national poll is that 53 percent of likely voters are comfortable with the idea of him as president, which ties Obama’s percentage on this question (although 39 percent are “very comfortable” with Obama versus 26 percent who are “very comfortable” with Romney).
Also, Romney is ahead of Obama among independents, 47 percent to 40 percent.
And the former Massachusetts governor leads Obama by five points on which candidate is better prepared to create jobs and grow the economy, 47 percent to 42 percent.
However, a majority of voters in the survey – 52 percent – say the economy is recovering.
The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted Nov. 1-3 of 1,475 likely voters (including 443 cell phone-only respondents), and it has a margin of error of plus-minus 2.55 percentage points.
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The real problem is this:
If Obama is relected the GOP will remain favorable in the House and Senate and will continue to block the Presidents every effect to do as he promised during his first campaign for President. The GOP will then cite the same lines that they have used against Obama and Biden and America the last four years in the 2016 election while they purposely derail any attempts by America to create a new America.
Obama is for the American citizen first in creating a progressively prosperous America.
If Romney is elected the GOP will use him as a puppet to pass any bill that they want to pass through into the House Senate without any regards to the American populace but only residing in the fact that they mean to keep job creation stagnant and thus exhalting old energy platforms such as big oil and big gasoline as being able to create new jobs just because the old timers have retired and younger Americans have taken their place.
Romney is about the wealthy first and creating prosperity for the wealthy while progress is kept on the back burner and as cold as possible.
The GOP isn't called the Grand Old Party, or the party that does not want progress but rather wants things done the old way, the way things used to be.
Job creation is not about filling the status quo.
Job creation is about creating new platforms that provide both progress and prosperity which President Obama has strived for. Unlike the GOP that has only strived for prosperity in making Americans think that they have created new jobs by painting the same message on the same billboard where only different colors have been used each time.
Our President said that he would bring the nation together. That did not work.
Our President said that he could work with the opposition party by reaching across the isle. That did not work.
Our President said that his administration would be free from lobbyists. That did not work.
Our President said that his administration would be the most transparent ever. That did not work.
Our President said that he would fix the economy within three years. That did not work.
Our President said that his health care bill would lower health care costs. That did not work.
Our President said that he would not raise taxes on 95% of Americans in any way. That did not work.
Our President said that his stimulus spending bill would solve our employment problem. That did not work.
Our President said that he would cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. That did not work.
Our President has provided an economic "plan" for the next 4 years that is mathematically impossible. That cannot work.
I see a pattern here. Our President said that if he could not fix the economy within three year that he did not deserve a second term.
Will Ass,
The ignorant unmoving GOP prevents him from fulfilling his promises to America!
Right on GC,
It was the tea-gang, that took America down, by not wanting to pay for what the GOP (the debt ceiling), put on our nation's credit card. They didn't get it, too thick headed. That is what caused shock waves across the world markets. How does a president overcome nonsense like that, well somehow, slowly he's turning things around.
Jody,
Thank you for a truly representative comment!
Will: You are a frickin YAHOO, if you think Liar Romney will make our country better. He cares only about his buddies the 1%ers and their snake in the grass buddies, believe it or not.
O&Joe 2012 Liar Romney Lyin Ryan: NONE and DONE
Debra Olson shared Mikko Alanne's photo.
Romney has been babbling about how the "world" wants to see new American leadership. Well, BBC World asked the world, and the results are in. And they're pretty dramatic -- NO ONE except Pakistan is even remotely interested in a Romney presidency.
America, the days are over when Presidents are Elected to Serve the People!
If you want to be served, move to Costa Rica.
I think there are several reasons not to vote for the GOP ticket, and I mean this in the nicest possible way....
1. GOP View on healthcare bill- They say they want to repeal the healthcare bill, and use more free market solutions to the health insurance cost problems. The health insurance market is not a free market, it is and acts like an oligopoly. They say the law is killing jobs, even though it hasn't even taken effect yet. By not requiring people to have insurance, they are allowing freeloading. They also have no plan on how to fix healthcare themselves.
2. Romney's tax plan- Mitt says he wants to cut income taxes by 20 percent, get rid of the amt and reduce capital gains taxes. Yet, with a $16 trillion debt he has no way of paying for it, even with his idea of limiting deductions. He never says which deductions he would use or how he would get people to give them up. It's even unclear how his tax plan is pro growth. Many businesses hire and expand based on those deductions. Furthermore, the congressional research service put out a report saying that there has been no statistical correlation of top tax rates with economic growth.
3. The birther issue- many in the GOP think Obama wasn't born in this country, but George Romney, Mitt's father who was documented to be born in Mexico ran for president twice in the 1960's, once against Barry Goldwater and once against Richard Nixon. Birthers can't prove where Barack Obama was or wasn't born and the constitution itself is ambiguous on the issue.
4. GOP conduct in congress - with congressional approval at record low levels, and a country struggling with an economic recovery, wars, terrorism and high debt, the GOP in congress they want to do everything in their power to stop Obama's agenda. Such obstructionism and lack of flexibility is not in the country's best interest. They wouldn't have even accepted a debt deal of 10 to 1 spending cuts to tax increases to cut the debt
5. The GOP is not really a free market party - They get more contributions from big financial institutions then the democrats do so they push for using a regulatory structure through agencies such as NCUA and OTS that look to hurt smaller financial institutions such as Credit Unions and Thrifts from getting their way. These types of institutions have business structures that allow them to provide more favorable financial products to consumers and are weary of losing market share. In a free market system, businesses of all types should be able to fill an industry, with the best business model and most advantageous product to customers gaining market share. The GOP even opposes removing the cap on business lending in credit unions, when more lending to business and allowing access to capital would help the economy.
6. GOP foreign policy is dangerous - While they would do a lot of what Obama does, they would be quicker to go war in Iran, something we can't afford unless necessary with our incredible debt and may not even be successful in stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. We should keep our resources locked on dealing with Al Quaeda in places like Yemen where they are getting stronger. It doesn't seem as though Romney has any plan at all for a situation where the Euro financial crisis gets worse. It's already diminishing demand for US exports
7. Romney is not exactly forthcoming with the country - For one thing he has changed his positions numerous times. Sometimes he is for abortion rights, sometimes he isn't, sometimes he is for health insurance mandates, sometimes he isn't. He also hasn't released many years of his tax returns. No one is annoyed that Romney is a rich man, there's nothing wrong with being rich, but what is he hiding in those tax returns?
Obama 2012
Check out the graphs on this one!!!!
BBC poll: Rest of world favors Obama
(Sorry - this system won't let me post the graphs or the website. Google BBC international poll Obama Romney and check them out!!!)
A BBC World Service opinion poll has found sharply higher overseas approval ratings for US President Barack Obama than Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
An average of 50% favored Mr. Obama, with 9% for Mr. Romney, in the survey of 21,797 people in 21 countries.
Only Pakistan's respondents said they would prefer to see Mr. Romney win November's election.
France was the most strongly pro-Obama (72%).
The survey was conducted by GlobeScan/PIPA between 3 July and 3 September.
Liar Romney has spoken about not giving a damn about 47% of Americans, but actually that # is much higher, try 99% of the people he doesn't care about. Like I have been saying, he only cares about his puppeteer 1%. America will definately reget it, if Liar Romney wins. He just wants the TITLE of POTUS, he doesn't care about America. Lets make him NONE and DONE.
O&Joe 2012 ****Liar Romney 1040**** Draft Dodger where are those damn tax returns????????
Romney is all about the Mormon White Supremcist Agenda and ignores the rest of us 99%!
Well said gustifer.
Once Obama wins to serve an additional four years, the GOP will continue to be self-serving, pig-headed, hard-nosed pinheads and serve themselves, corporations, constituents, and the 1% of America!
Go Forward Mr. Obama and preserve the Rights and Freedoms we 99% continue to enjoy- 2013-2016
The very fact that Obama wont address the Libya,Benghazi cover-up, and by his own words saying there's no need to talk about it before the election (like that is an answer) is proof that he is dirty,And his followers don't even want to know the truth of a set-up,murder and cover-up of a ambassador that dared to disagree with him and his policy's
The official story surrounding the events of September 11, 2012 in Benghazi, Libya which left four Americans dead, has now officially fallen apart.
After numerous flips and flops by the Obama administration, which originally attempted to paint the incident as a Muslim outcry over an anti-Islamic video, whistle blowers throughout the U.S. government, including within the White House, the State Department, national intelligence agencies and the U.S.military have made available stunning details that suggest not only did operational commanders have live visual and audio communications from drones overhead and intelligence assets on the ground, but that some commanders within the military were prepared to go-it-alone after being told to "stand down."
Africom commanding officer U.S. General Carter Ham, after being ordered to essentially surrender control of the situation to alleged Al Queda terrorists and let Americans on the ground die, made the unilateral decision to ignore orders from the Secretary of Defense and activated special operations teams at his disposal for immediate deployment to the area.(if the general had not intervened' there would be 34 dead Americans and not just 4---And now Obama has the U.S. General Arrested for Activating Special Forces Teams; Ignoring Libya Stand-Down Order. (Obama does not like the real light to be shined on him,HuH!)
YOu pay too much attention to that right wing nut sh!t for news fox.