In their 11th survey of swing state in the past year, USA and Gallup find the race now tied, and voters are as fired up for the election as ever, as reported in Final Swing States Poll: Fired-up voters split, 48%-48%. President Obama has improved 4% since their last poll and is now favored as a better leader on all issues except for the economy and deficit.
Voters in the nation's key battlegrounds have become as enthusiastic and engaged in the 2012 presidential election as they were in the historic contest four years ago, and they finally have made up their minds about President Obama and Mitt Romney.
The even split among likely voters in the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of Swing States reflects gains in the campaign's final weeks by Obama, who has closed a 4-percentage-point deficit from early October in the wake of a disappointing first presidential debate. Most of the interviews were completed before Hurricane Sandy hit, and the president's disaster response may have bolstered his standing a bit since then.
The 11th and final Swing States Poll, a USA TODAY series that began a year ago, finds voters increasingly excited about the election and settled in their support. They say they have a clear idea what each candidate would do if elected — though that has caused some alarm. Most express concern that a President Romney would return to failed GOP policies and that a re-elected Obama would rely too much on Big Government.
President Obama leads with registered voters 50%-46%. This article publishes several pages of interesting sub-findings.
President Obama's campaign manager, Jim Messina, says our president now has the momentum, and has "crystalized leads" in most battleground states, "People understand that this president is on their side," ... "People know he's going to fight for them every single day."