Because the truth plays better than fiction ...

Last edited Mon Sep 10, 2012, 04:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Answer is: Why is Obama looking so strong in Ohio?

When Mitt Romney campaigns in Ohio on Monday afternoon, he’ll do so in a state where he has some work to do. Recent polling has shown President Obama holding a slight lead in the Buckeye State, which has long been considered a must-have for Romney to win the White House in November.

If Obama wins Ohio, Romney will have to defy history to win the White House: No Republican has ever been elected president without carrying the Buckeye State. There is still plenty of time for Republicans to turn the tables (and we should underscore that the race remains very close), but right now, the president has put himself in a good position to claim the state’s 18 electoral votes.

So why is Obama doing as well as he is in Ohio — particularly when compared to other 2008 swing states? (Check out this chart we posted last week comparing swing state performance between 2008 and 2012 for Obama.)

Everything in this election starts and ends with the economy, and Ohio is no exception. And, things are looking up in the Buckeye State. The unemployment rate in July was 7.2 percent, about a point below the national average. And it’s down from where it was about two years ago, when 10.6 percent of the state was out of work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/09/10/why-is-obama-looking-so-strong-in-ohio/