Rasmussen: Romney holds slight edge over Obama post-debate

The latest Rasmussen daily-tracking poll shows Mitt Romney holding a slight edge over President Obama after Wednesday’s first presidential debate.

The latest survey, released Sunday, shows Romney with 49 percent support to Obama’s 47. The poll is conducted on a three-day rolling average, meaning all respondents were surveyed after the completion of the debate.

Two percent surveyed preferred a third-party candidate, with another 2 percent still undecided.

The poll’s findings spotlighted a modest bounce for Romney, who was seen in other polls as the winner of the first of three presidential debates. The president’s performance was criticized by many of his own supporters who said the president appeared subdued. A CNN/ORC poll of registered voters immediately after the debate found 67 percent believed Romney won, with just 25 percent picking Obama. 

The Obama campaign has pushed back, arguing that Romney flip-flopped on many of his positions in the debate, leaving the president off-guard and pledging a more aggressive debate strategy when the two meet Oct. 16 in Hempstead, N.Y.

The Romney campaign though has touted the GOP challenger’s performance, noting that for many Americans this was their first glimpse of the presidential candidate.

On Friday, a number of new polls showed Romney making gains in some battleground states.

Post-debate swing state polls conducted by Rasmussen showed Romney ahead by 1 point in Virginia, and two in Florida, with Obama up 1 in Ohio. In all three states, Romney had closed a larger gap to the president.

Overall, Rasmussen’s tracking poll of voters in 11 swing states found Obama up 2, edging Romney with 49 percent support to 47.

Voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin are polled in the swing-state tracking survey.

---