Pew: Obama Re-Takes National Lead

Pew: Obama Re-Takes National Lead

President Obama has experienced a resurgence in the well-respected Pew poll of the national presidential election, building a 3-point lead as Tuesday approaches.

Obama pulled 50 percent of likely voters against Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s 47 percent, a 3-point bump for the president from Pew’s last poll a week ago, which showed the candidates tied at 47 percent.

Pew’s numbers have closely followed the national trends over the last two months of the campaign. After convention season in early September, Pew picked up a large bump for the president, finding an 8-point Obama lead. Then after the first presidential debate, Pew showed big movement for Romney,finding a 4-point lead in the former Mass. governor’s favor. Then as debate season ended, Obama and Romney had settled into a tie at 47 percent in Pew’s Oct. 28 poll. Now the president is ahead again, two days out.

“Nearly four-in-ten (39%) likely voters support Obama strongly, while 9% back him only moderately,” Pew pollster wrote. “A third of likely voters support Romney strongly, compared with 11% who back him moderately. In past elections, dating to 1960, the candidate with the higher percentage of strong support has usually gone on to win the popular vote.”