Why the polls may be shifting

[Playinghardball]

Greg Sargent: Why the polls may be shifting.

A lot of the commentary about the national and state polls that are shifting away from Mitt Romney focuses on his various missteps — the response to the Embassy attacks, the freeloading 47 percent remarks — as major causes of his political travails. And those are probably important.

But those don’t explain why Obama’s approval numbers, and his numbers on the economy in particular, seem to be visibly improving. Which suggests another possible explanation for all the movement: There may be stuff happening in the economy that hasn’t registered in the national jobs numbers political reporters and commentators focus relentlessly upon, but could easily be driving voter sentiment.

This is, of course, largely speculative. But consider: Obama’s national approval is at 51 percent in Gallup, and while it’s bounced around a bit, it has hovered at or around 49 and 50 percent with some regularity. In a host of the national polls, Romney’s advantage on the economy has evaporated entirely. One national survey even found Obama with a commanding lead among those who don’t believe their lot has improved. In Ohio and Florida, Obama is now leading Romney on the economy, and majorities now believe the economy either is improving or will improve if Obama’s policies are given more time. And so on.

More at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/why-the-polls-may-be-shifting/2012/09/26/0ab5763e-0809-11e2-a10c-fa5a255a9258_blog.html?wprss=rss_opinions

[Delphinus]

1. And, truly,

all I hear when I bother to turn on the news is that it's so neck and neck. NPR's Talk of the Nation had it on yesterday. Local papers (NE Indiana) say the same thing - too close to call or that Romney's making a comeback. Scares me.

[liam_laddie]

3. IMO, this "horse race" syndrome is pure marketing...

...by Big Media, to keep eyeballs and ears (market share, ratings) involved. More eyeballs/ears = higher ad rates. Really simple strategy...lie, exaggerate, distort, omit...all for the almighty $$. Feckin' arseholes!

[Downtown Hound]

6. I wouldn't worry too much about it

This from 2008, in none other than what the media likes to call "Battleground state Pennsylvania" even though Repukes haven't won a presidential election there in over twenty years.

A Fox reporter goes around a diner asking people who they are going to vote for as president. Nearly all of them answer Obama. The Faux asswipe then turns to the camera and says, "As you can see, it's pretty much an even split."

Same bullshit, different election.

[Kber]

2. Jobs created by small businesses are not easily captured and are slow to register in the reports.

[On the Road]

4. I Agree

Most voters have a natural preference for Obama which can be broken only by something as strong as economic fear. Economic improvement is what makes GOP criticism ineffective.

[RichGirl]

5. I'm no a sports fan...but....

I've been told a good game is a close game...where to the end you don't know who's going to win. The media is after all a corporation that cares about ratings and profit. If they want viewers on election night they better make it look like a close game.