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| Obama and Romney campaigns begin blitz on battleground states | Obama and Romney campaigns begin blitz on battleground states |
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| Barack Obama and Mitt Romney took their respective blueprints for America to key electoral battlegrounds Saturday with polls suggesting that the White House race remains neck-and-neck. | Barack Obama and Mitt Romney took their respective blueprints for America to key electoral battlegrounds Saturday with polls suggesting that the White House race remains neck-and-neck. |
| "I'm fired up. I'm ready to go forward," the president told supporters in Florida, just days after he gave a solid speech to delegates in North Carolina – but one that failed to deliver a clear polling bounce to elevate him above his Republican challenger. | "I'm fired up. I'm ready to go forward," the president told supporters in Florida, just days after he gave a solid speech to delegates in North Carolina – but one that failed to deliver a clear polling bounce to elevate him above his Republican challenger. |
| Meanwhile, Romney attempted to capitalise on a Democratic party spat over the wording of its policy platform at the Charlotte meet during his turn on the stump. | |
| Referring to a self-inflicted wound caused by the original dropping of any mention to "God" in the document, Romney said: "I will not take God out of the name of our platform. I will not take God off our coins and I will not take God out of my heart." | |
| The stump speech, delivered in the bible-belt state of Virginia, received cheers, and chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A". | The stump speech, delivered in the bible-belt state of Virginia, received cheers, and chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A". |
| Warming to the patriotic theme, Romney went on to promise to maintain spending on defence so that the US army was so powerful no other nation would "dare test it". | Warming to the patriotic theme, Romney went on to promise to maintain spending on defence so that the US army was so powerful no other nation would "dare test it". |
| In Florida, Obama lambasted the Republican party for not coming up with anything other than "the same prescription they have had for 30 years". | |
| He summed Romney's platform up as: "Tax cuts, tax cuts: gut a few regulations, some more tax cuts." | |
| To growing laughter from supporters, the president continued: "Tax cuts when times are good, tax cuts when times are bad. Tax cuts to help you lose a few extra pounds, tax cuts to help your love life." | To growing laughter from supporters, the president continued: "Tax cuts when times are good, tax cuts when times are bad. Tax cuts to help you lose a few extra pounds, tax cuts to help your love life." |
| Both men will be hoping that by hammering their key messages home in battleground states, they may open up a discernible lead – something both men have failed to do so far in the race. | Both men will be hoping that by hammering their key messages home in battleground states, they may open up a discernible lead – something both men have failed to do so far in the race. |
| In the latest rash of polls to come out after the Democrats wrapped up a mainly well-reviewed convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Obama appears to have earned a small "bounce". | In the latest rash of polls to come out after the Democrats wrapped up a mainly well-reviewed convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Obama appears to have earned a small "bounce". |
| But the lead it gives him is razor-thin. The Rasmussen tracking poll puts him two points ahead of Romney, while a Gallup tracking poll has the Democrat three points up. | But the lead it gives him is razor-thin. The Rasmussen tracking poll puts him two points ahead of Romney, while a Gallup tracking poll has the Democrat three points up. |
| Earlier in the week, Obama's lead was just one or two points, and a CNN poll had the race in a dead heat. | Earlier in the week, Obama's lead was just one or two points, and a CNN poll had the race in a dead heat. |
| However, those polls are national surveys, and most experts believe that the election will be decided in about nine "battleground" states where narrow margins and swing voters are the focus of intense attention. | However, those polls are national surveys, and most experts believe that the election will be decided in about nine "battleground" states where narrow margins and swing voters are the focus of intense attention. |
| Already, those states have been subject to a barrage of political adverts, and the picture there has generally been more positive for Obama as he usually holds leads in key states like Ohio, Iowa and Florida. | Already, those states have been subject to a barrage of political adverts, and the picture there has generally been more positive for Obama as he usually holds leads in key states like Ohio, Iowa and Florida. |
| The influential political blogger Nate Silver, who tracks polls for the New York Times, currently predicts Obama to have a 78% chance of winning the election, based on his ability to win votes in those vital areas. | The influential political blogger Nate Silver, who tracks polls for the New York Times, currently predicts Obama to have a 78% chance of winning the election, based on his ability to win votes in those vital areas. |
| However, there is little likelihood that the Obama campaign is going to rest easy, despite a convention season which failed to produce any breakthrough for Romney. | However, there is little likelihood that the Obama campaign is going to rest easy, despite a convention season which failed to produce any breakthrough for Romney. |
| Just a day after the Charlotte gathering dispersed, the latest monthly US job figures were released, revealing an American economy still failing to produce many jobs. | Just a day after the Charlotte gathering dispersed, the latest monthly US job figures were released, revealing an American economy still failing to produce many jobs. |
| The survey showed that just 96,000 jobs had been created in August, and revised down numbers for previous months. | The survey showed that just 96,000 jobs had been created in August, and revised down numbers for previous months. |
| It showed the jobless rate dipped from 8.3% to 8.1%, but that was partly due to many job seekers simply dropping out of the market and giving up the hunt for employment. | It showed the jobless rate dipped from 8.3% to 8.1%, but that was partly due to many job seekers simply dropping out of the market and giving up the hunt for employment. |
| Economic matters lie at the heart of the campaign, and Romney has placed criticism of Obama for failing to adequately reduce unemployment at the centre of his strategy. | Economic matters lie at the heart of the campaign, and Romney has placed criticism of Obama for failing to adequately reduce unemployment at the centre of his strategy. |
| Romney called the data a "hangover" after Charlotte. | Romney called the data a "hangover" after Charlotte. |
| "I don't think the American people want four more years of the last four years. I think they want to see more jobs, they want to see their kids coming out of college able to get jobs, they want to see rising incomes again," he said in a statement. | "I don't think the American people want four more years of the last four years. I think they want to see more jobs, they want to see their kids coming out of college able to get jobs, they want to see rising incomes again," he said in a statement. |
| With the race as close as it is, both candidates are now likely to spend little time outside the battleground states in the remaining eight weeks of the campaign. | With the race as close as it is, both candidates are now likely to spend little time outside the battleground states in the remaining eight weeks of the campaign. |