USA Africa Dialogue Series - North Carolina And "It's The Economy, Stupid"

North Carolina, which Obama won in 2008, now moves from toss-up to leaning Romney, and the economy will decide this election, with Romney perceived to be the man with the know-how to fix it.

Election 2012: North Carolina President

North Carolina: Romney 49%, Obama 44%

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Mitt Romney has a five-point edge over President Obama in the battleground state of North Carolina. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Tar Heel State finds Romney with 49% support, while the president earns 44% of the vote.  Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and another four percent (4%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This moves the state from Toss-Up Status to Leans Romney in the Rasmussen Reports Electoral College Projections.

The economy is the top issue of Election 2012 and, like Americans everywhere, there are deep concerns in North Carolina. Only 11% rate the U.S. economy as good or excellent, while 53% say it's poor.  Twenty-four percent (24%) say economic conditions in the nation are getting better these days, but a plurality (47%) feel they're getting worse. 

Just 35% believe the economy will get better if Obama is reelected and Democrats regain control of Congress. Forty-eight percent (48%) believe it will get worse.  If Romney is elected and Republicans win control of Congress, 40% believe it will get better and 41% say worse. For both men, the North Carolina numbers are a bit more optimistic than the national average.