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Poll: Romney edges Obama in critical swing state New Hampshire
Mitt Romney holds a slight lead over President Obama in New Hampshire, a state that is among a handful of critical toss-ups in November's presidential election, according to a new poll from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College.
Romney was the choice of 44 percent of voters surveyed, versus 42 percent who favor Obama. While within the poll's margin of error, that's a troubling sign for the president, who won the state by a nine-point margin in 2008.
The president continues to battle a job approval rating battered by concerns over the economy. More New Hampshire voters — 43 percent — view Obama unfavorably than the 40 percent who are generally impressed his performance. While that represents a 3 percentage point rebound from a year ago, the president continues to struggle with Granite State voters. More than half of men and nearly half of all respondents ages 50 or older disapprove of the president's handling of his job.
The president continues to hold a commanding lead among women in the state — beating Romney by 9 percentage points — showing results after the Democrats have emphasized women's issues in past weeks. But Romney holds an even more commanding advantage — 12 points — among male voters.
Obama tended to poll the best among New Hampshire voters who thought the country was headed in the right direction, especially in terms of economic and budgetary policy. Romney, meanwhile, found an advantage with those who continue to be concerned about the country's economic future.
Attitudes about the economy are improving, albeit gradually. Nine percent of respondents rated the economy "excellent" or "good" — up from 3.5 percent last year — with 45 percent saying the economy was in "fair" condition. That's a 10-point increase from last year, but matched by 44 percent who believe the economy is in a "poor" state.
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