Battleground Ohio - The Road to the White House - Election 2012 - Week 24

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Saturday, 16 June 2012 23:00

Written by Janet Walker

Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee, and President Obama took to the road this week setting the campaign trail tone as each delivered retaliatory economic speeches to the voters of Ohio.

According to Gallup, as of June 16, 2012 among registered voters President Obama’s national popularity dropped a single percentage point this week to 45% and Mitt Romney gained a single percentage point to end at 46%. Obama’s current overall ratings, according to Gallup, dropped two percentage points over the past week to 45% approve and those who disapprove of his effectiveness gained four percentage points to 49%.

As the two candidates begin to address the general population, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama traded jabs over the economy, economic leadership and job creation.  

With 23.2 Americans unemployed and forty straight months of over 8% unemployment economists have voiced concerns that the recession stalled long enough to gain strength and is once again bearing down on the American people as jobless numbers grew for the second straight week.

As both Mitt Romney and President Obama visited hard hit Ohio this week, each hoping to sway voters of this highly conservative swing state, their message resonated of a tale of two realities. In an Obama speech he stated, “all is fine in the private sector” to which Romney replied Obama is “out of touch” with the realities of the economy.

Romney began his pitch to the American People with a six day “Every Town Counts” tour that will bring his message and plan of economic recovery to the voters. Joining Romney on the bus tour, which will undoubtedly be the first of many road trips through the mid-west hoping to secure the moderates, undecided and swing voters are the potential Vice Presidential candidates.

Ohio is considered a swing state with 18 electoral votes and is the home to Senator Rob Portman, who has been mentioned as a possible Vice Presidental candidate.

Other hot button issues that will eventually come into play and need clear position definition include Defense of Marriage Act, women’s rights on deciding their own reproductive healthcare options, and the economic recovery plan and jobs creation strategy. The former Massachusetts governor is well known for his savvy balance sheet skills and a golden touch in business endeavors and while Obama inherited a weakened economy and has not been able to get in front of it a clear defined strategy has not been put forth.

As the dust settles in the 2012 Delegate Tracker totals according to the Wall Street Journal for all candidates have been adjusted. Of the 2286 total available delegates, Mitt Romney has secured 1,480 delegates. At this time Rick Santorum holds 267 delegates, Newt Gingrich; 138, and Ron Paul, 137.

The Republican Presidential primary season concludes with Utah, on June 26.