Mitt Romney Closes The Gap In Virginia, A Key Swing State

We don’t exactly know what he did, but it looks to have paid off. President Obama’s lead in the key swing state of Virginia has disappeared, setting him neck-and-neck with opponent Mitt Romney, according to a new poll.

This report comes just shy of Wednesday’s CBS/NYT poll showing Romney and Obama deadlocked together, causing some concern for the incumbent’s re-election hopes. This morning’s Quinnipiac University poll out of Virginia suggests a significant blow to President Obama, giving his re-election team good reason to worry, reports the Huffington Post. The polling data:

“Republican challenger Mitt Romney wipes out President Barack Obama’s lead in Virginia and the two candidates are deadlocked 44 – 44 percent in the race for the Old Dominion’s 13 electoral votes, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. This compares to a 50 – 42 percent lead for President Obama in a March 20 survey by the independent Quinnipiac University and a 47 – 42 percent Obama lead June 7.”

The state is shaping up to be a key battleground state in November, notes CNN. President Obama did win the state in 2008, but was the first Democrat to do so since 1964. Those 13 electoral votes could go either way this time around.

“Virginia voters are sharply split along gender and political lines about the presidential race. The two candidates equally hold their own political bases and are splitting the key independent vote down the middle,” said a statement accompanying the data.

Though Romney is inching up on Obama, it hardly means that Americans are sweet on him. Then again, it also means that they’re souring on Obama as well. “Neither man is exactly Mr. Popularity,” says the statement. “Romney has a negative 39—42 percent favorability, compared to Obama’s divided 46—48 percent. One of them is going to win the White House, but neither would get elected Prom King.”