Obama Decline Continues Virginia Moves To Column Of Red States

Poll Reveals 9 Percent Swing In Virginia

Another Battleground State, this time Virginia, is being moved over into the column of Red States.  In Virginia, Mitt Romney is now preferred over Barack Obama by two percentage points 47-45 percent, according to a Fox News poll of Virginia likely voters released Thursday. Virginia is now the third state in the last week to join the mounting number of Red States.

Although Romney’s lead is within the poll’s margin of sampling error, the poll shows a nine-point shift in the margin and a four-point increase in support for Romney.  A month ago, Obama topped Romney by seven points in this battleground state 50-43 percent.  The nine point swing in less than a month is further evidence that the Obama campaign is in full blown meltdown.

Click for the full poll results.

The president has also lost ground in the state on his job performance and favorable rating. In 2008, Obama won 52 percent of the vote in Virginia and was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1964.  The voters of Virginia seem determined to make sure that the 2008 Democratic victory does not become a trend.

The biggest shift since September is among independents.  They now prefer Romney by 53-31 percent.  Last month they were split 43-43 percent.

The race is tight despite Romney’s wide advantage among independents because the poll finds by a five-point margin more voters identify themselves as Democrats — and almost all of them back their party’s nominee.  In the 2008 presidential election, the Fox News exit poll found a six-point advantage in party identification for Democrats.

Some of Romney’s strongest groups include white men (+30 points), veterans and active military voters (+22 points) and voters living in $100,000-plus income households (+12 points).

Obama’s strengths include his support among blacks (+84 points), unmarried women (+32 points) and voters under age 35 (+18 points).

By a six-point margin, women side with Obama (49-43 percent).  He had a 12-point edge among women in September.

The president’s support among women is also down from the 53 percent support in the 2008 exit poll.  Likewise, Obama’s current 40 percent support among men is far lower than the 51 percent he had in 2008.

Among the six in 10 voters “extremely” interested in the race, Romney leads by 52-44 percent.

In addition, the challenger’s supporters are a bit more enthusiastic: 64 percent of those backing Romney feel it’s “extremely” important he wins, while 60 percent of those supporting Obama feel that way.

Romney is now as popular as Obama in Virginia:  54 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of each.  Obama’s favorable rating is down four points from 58 percent last month, while Romney’s is up six points from 48 percent.

More Virginia voters now trust Romney to improve the economy and create jobs by a six percentage-point margin.  That’s a reversal from last month when more voters trusted Obama by five points (September 16-18).

On foreign policy, Virginia voters prefer Obama by 6 points — down from a 13-point advantage in September.  More voters also trust Obama on handling Medicare (+5 points).

They favor Romney on cutting government spending (+15 points).

Forty-five percent of Virginia voters think the nation’s economy is getting better, while almost as many — 42 percent — say it’s getting worse.

Fully 85 percent of those saying it’s getting better back Obama, while 88 percent of those saying things are getting worse side with Romney.   And the Republican challenger is largely favored among the 11 percent who feel things are staying the same:  53-35 percent.

Roughly equal numbers of Virginia voters think the Obama administration’s economic policies have helped the economy (38 percent) as say the policies have hurt (40 percent).  One voter in five says Obama’s policies didn’t make a difference either way (18 percent).

Last month, by a five-point margin, more voters said the administration’s policies had done more to help than hurt the economy (42-37 percent).

Virginia voters are divided on the job Obama is doing as president: 48 percent approve and 48 percent disapprove.  His approval is down from 53 percent in September.

At the same time nearly half of voters — 49 percent — approve of Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell’s job performance.