Fox News Poll: Obama ahead in key states of Florida and Ohio
Anderson Robbins Research/Shaw & Company Research for Fox (OH, FL). April 15-17. Ohio and Florida registered voters. ±4%. (Ohio only: Feb 11-12 results)
Ohio:
Obama: 45 (38)
Romney: 39 (44)
Florida:
Obama: 45
Romney: 43
Those are decent numbers for President Obama, but by no means is it an indication that he's got things all wrapped up in either state. You can see how much things have changed in the last two months alone in Ohio, for example, going from a six-point deficit to a equally large lead.
Given the importance of the two states, Ohio Senator Rob Portman and Florida Senator Marco Rubio have each been at the center of the Mittstakes VP speculation, largely on the assumption that each of them could deliver their home states. Some people think Rubio, because he's Cuban-American, could woo Latinos as well, but as PPP's latest poll reveals, Rubio would have almost no impact on Romney's standing with Latino voters.
As it turns out, according to the Fox poll, Rubio would have almost no net impact in Florida, either—and Portman would have none in Ohio. Romney still trails both polls, even with the home state senators on the ticket:
Ohio:
Obama/Biden: 46
Romney/Portman: 40
Florida:
Obama/Biden: 45
Romney/Rubio: 44
Again, these numbers don't say that Romney is going to lose Florida and Ohio with or without Rubio or Portman. He could very well win both states. But what the numbers do show is that merely picking Rubio or Portman won't magically give Romney a significant boost in either state, despite convention wisdom.
http://www.dailykos.com