US President Barack Obama is ahead in three key battleground states where he is also seen as the candidate best able to handle an international crisis, according to a new poll out Wednesday.
The Quinnipiac University /New York Times/CBS News poll — carried out during and after
last week’s Middle East turmoil — gave Obama the lead over Mitt Romney in Virginia, Wisconsin and Colorado, all crucial 2012 swing states.
Obama leads Romney 51-45% in Wisconsin — the home state of Romney’s running mate — 50-46% in Virginia and 48-47% in Colorado, the poll found. The survey found that Obama had gained some ground on handling the economy — which has been the central issue of the campaign — and was way ahead of Romney when it comes to weathering a foreign crisis.
On the economy, the two candidates remained neck-and-neck in all three states. He was also judged best able to handle an international crisis. He also held an advantage on the issue of national security and terrorism in all three states, after trailing Romney 50-41% in Colorado in the same survey last month.