Weekend Polls Show Obama Maintains Momentum; National Polls Tightening

A series of polls released over the weekend show President Barack Obama maintains the advantage he built after the Democratic National Convention against Republican Mitt Romney. Five state polls, including one in the important battleground state of Virginia, all show the president in the lead. Nationally, the polls continue to be close, with each candidate ahead in one of the national tracking polls.

Virginia

A Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll of 1,021 likely Virginia voters found Obama in the lead over Romney, 51 to 46 percent, with a 3.1 percent margin of error. Obama's lead in this poll is identical to a previous PPP poll taken last month. "Barack Obama continues to look like the definite favorite in Virginia," said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling, in a statement.

Michigan

A Baydoun/Foster poll of Michigan shows Obama remains in the lead, but by a closer margin than previous polls. Obama lead by only 2 points over Romney, 46 to 44 percent. The poll surveyed 1,156 likely voters with a 2.9 percent margin of error. Previous polls of Michigan had Obama up by double digits over his rival as recently as last week. The president has been in the lead or tied in Romney's home state in the majority of polls there this campaign season.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Two polls by the Philadelphia Inquirer show Obama with commanding leads in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In New Jersey , Obama lead 51 to 37 over Romney, while the Pennsylvania poll put Obama over Romney, 50 to 39 percent. Both polls surveyed 600 likely voters with a 4 percent margin of error. A Fairleigh Dickinson poll of New Jersey last week also found a 14-point lead for Obama in the Garden State.

Illinois

A poll by Southern Illinois University conducted Sept. 4-10 found Obama ahead of Romney in Illinois by 13 points, 47 to 34 percent. The poll of 1,261 registered voters had a margin of error of 2.8 percent. Only a handful of polls of Obama's home state have been conducted, and Obama has led in all of them.

National Polls

The Gallup and Rasmussen Tracking polls continue to be split on the candidates. President Obama continues to led the Seven Day Gallup Tracking Poll by a 3 point margin, 48 to 45 percent. Earlier last week, the president was ahead by as many as seven points, indicating his post-convention bump may be wearing off nationally. TheRasmussen Three Day Tracking Poll has Romney ahead, 47 to 45 percent. Neither candidate's lead is outside the respective poll's margin of error.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/weekend-polls-show-obama-maintains-momentum-national-polls-165100483.html

summerfest summerfest fidel castro rick santorum ozzie guillen castro comments phish gluten free diet