New polls show glaring weaknesses for both Obama and Romney

So the good news for Romney is that he has a big potential upside: Nearly a third of voters haven’t passed judgment on him, good or bad.  That’s why we’re seeing a lot of his wife, Ann, and his five sons, who can add a personal dimension to a man who can be awkward in public. And that’s why Team Obama is working overtime trying to tear down Romney’s reputation over his career at Bain Capital and his unwillingness to release more tax returns beyond the two already out. So far, it’s not clear that Obama is succeeding.

The president also trails Romney in a head-to-head matchup on the most important issue, the economy.  Some 49 percent say Romney would do a better job handling the economy and jobs, to 41 percent for Obama.

Measurements of enthusiasm present a mixed picture.  Fifty-two percent of Obama supporters favor him strongly, while just 29 percent of Romney supporters back him strongly. But Republicans are more excited about voting. About half of Republicans saying they’re more enthusiastic about voting than in past elections, while only 27 percent of Democrats report the same.

Ultimately, given all the mixed messages from voters, it’s no wonder that the recent major public polls show the race so close. The Real Clear Politics average shows Obama up by 1.4 percentage points. While the CBS-New York Times poll shows Romney up by 1 point, Fox News has Obama up by 4. Rasmussen tracking has Romney up by 1, and Gallup tracking has Obama up by 2.

Another clue into the trajectory of the race comes from battleground states, and one of the most important is Virginia. A new Quinnipiac poll of Virginia voters shows that Romney has erased Obama’s lead there, where they are now tied at 44 percent apiece. In March, Obama led Romney there 50-42.

"One small edge that President Barack Obama has is likability,” says Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in Hamden, Conn.  “Voters have a slightly more favorable opinion of the president than they do Gov. Mitt Romney." 
"But neither man is exactly Mr. Popularity,” he adds. “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.”

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