A new national poll from Gallup shows former Mass Gov. Mitt Romney with a one point lead on President Obama in a survey of voters in twelve swing states, while leading businessman Herman Cain by three points and Texas Gov. Rick Perry by five. A broader nationwide poll shows Obama and Romney tied at 47 percent. The intent of the poll was to measure how voters in the most important Electoral College states are stacking up the current field in the general election.
The underlying perils for the president are particularly pronounced in these battlegrounds, presumably because they are in parts of the country that have been hit hardest by the nation’s economic troubles.
Four of the states have unemployment rates in double digits, well above the national average of 9.1%. Rust Belt states such as Michigan continue to struggle with the exodus of heavy manufacturing industries. Those in the Sun Belt, including Florida and Nevada, have been at the center of the home mortgage boom-and-bust.
