With 100 days until vote, Obama ahead but vulnerable
According to a Wall Street Journal and NBC poll published this week,
only 36 percent of American voters are confident Obama can improve the
economy, while 43 percent prefer Romney, a multi-millionaire former
venture capitalist.
US: With 100 days to go before the US election, President Barack
Obama appears to have a slight edge over Republican rival Mitt Romney,
though he is still at the mercy of a stumbling US economy. Polls show
the Democratic incumbent's lead is shrinking as voters lose faith in his
ability to tackle crucial domestic issues, in particular the economy, as
growth slows and the job market stubbornly refuses to pick up. According
to a Wall Street Journal and NBC poll published this week, only 36
percent of American voters are confident Obama can improve the economy,
while 43 percent prefer Romney, a multi-millionaire former venture
capitalist.
Obama and his team have been hammering away at Romney's argument that
his business experience makes him the better choice to get Americans
back to work, alleging that his firm often sacked US workers and sent
jobs abroad.
But the attacks appear to have gained little traction with a
pessimistic electorate. Unemployment is stuck at 8.2 percent and is not
expected to fall below 7.9 percent by the end of the year, the White
House acknowledged Friday.
Figures released by the US Commerce Department on Friday showed GDP
growth in the second quarter slowing to 1.5 percent from 2.0 percent in
the first, amid falling consumer demand. Economists warn that growth of
less than two percent is not enough to make inroads into unemployment,
and Romney's economic advisers claim that their policies could quickly
double the rate.
AFP |