North Carolina moves in CNN Electoral Map
(CNN) - CNN Monday turned the important battleground state of North Carolina from "lean Romney" to true "toss up" on its Electoral Map, following the release of a new CNN/Time Magazine/ORC International poll that indicated the race for the state's 15 electoral votes was a dead heat.
The move by CNN comes one week before the Democratic convention kicks off in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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The poll, released earlier on Monday, indicates it's all knotted up in the Tar Heel state, with 48% of likely voters supporting Republican challenger Mitt Romney and 47% backing President Barack Obama.
Other polls from other organizations conducted earlier this summer also indicated a close contest in North Carolina.
"It's hard to imagine the perfect storm that helped then Sen. Obama narrowly carry the state in 2008. But at the moment the polling shows a tossup, and both campaigns say their numbers are in the same ballpark as our survey," says CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. "That, plus all the attention Democrats are about to give the state, gives us ample reason to move North Carolina to tossup."
"It's a must win for Romney, and even top Obama aides privately say it is a lot harder to see it going blue this time. But Romney can't take it for granted and the poll backs up what we see in the recent ad wars in North Carolina: It's a tight battleground," adds King.
Obama was the first Democrat to carry the state in a presidential election since 1976.
North Carolina now becomes the ninth state CNN considers a true toss up, joining Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. CNN considers Michigan, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania as states that lean towards Obama, with Arizona, Indiana, and Missouri as states that lean towards Romney.
With North Carolina's move to true "toss up," the CNN Electoral Map now suggests Obama leading in states with a combined 237 electoral votes, Romney ahead in states with a combined 191 electoral votes, and states with 110 electoral votes are up for grabs. Two-hundred and seventy electoral votes are needed with win the White House.
- CNN's Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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I live in NC, and this state is definitely going blue in 2012!
PPP had Obama up by 3 in it's last NC poll, and what will really do it... the convention.
Final night will be held at the HUGE Panther Stadium/Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
the difference between obama supporters and romney supporters is that romney supporters sign their checks on the front and obama supporters sign their checks on the back.
Obviously, Obama has many more paths to 270 and will most likely win the election.
Obama has not failed. Bush is the one that failed and left a problem so complex no one understood it. No one understood how complex the problem was and how far it reached untill a couple years after Bush left office. Now of course the Republicans would like to have voters believe Obama has created the problem but sensible voters know what is going on and can see thru the Republican lies and deceptive advertisements.
Why do you libs always call conservatives "birther" ? Why doesn't Oblame-O show the birth certificate or his foreign student aid application to Occidental College where he lists Indonesia as his birth places. Unless he is God, and most of you libs beleve he is, a mortal person can only be born once. Please explain.
I'm one of the 67% that think the country is going in the wrong direction. This has nothing to do with Obama and more to do with the lack of cooperation by Republicans. I certainly wouldn't vote for Mitt.
The local tv channel, 13 wlos, did a poll and Obama lost. Asheville NC is the most liberal place in America. Obama has almost no chance of winning the election with out NC. Asheville is set in their liberal ways and it's awesome to see what progressive thinking and college loans has done to hippies. It's not against the laws for gay people to only hire gay people. so, If your not gay. Your out of work in that town and on welfare. It also is one of the first places Our President Visited on his Campaign.
Let's all bend forward for Obama!!!!!
Like the Mayans said "Obama 2012"
It's surprising to me as I live in NC and there is very little support for Obama this time around. Couple that with the Democrats screwing up the State House and the Republican victories in 2010, I just don't see Obama having much of a chance.
Come on Old South states and rest of USA, save us from Obaam Jim Jones Kool aid mix. You want that socialist left leaning, policies another 4 years?
This country is headed in the right direction with the current president, the choice is up to the elderly and women. your health and your body. for the elderly I have been in the health care industry for nine years I have witness folks overcharge on their bills all the time so believe me 6,500 dollars will not last a year, when it's out after 2 visits then what?????????, for the woman your body is your body to have a complete stranger to tell you what you can and can't do hey if this okay with you so be it????????? for the birth-er any question on who's AMERICAN just remember Mitts dad was MEXICAN an we know how they came in the USA.
Why would any working class American even have a second thought about voting for a Republican.
The Republicans are not, never have been or ever will be for working class Americans - it's never been more obvious.
If the DNC convention planning is any sign – Dems are in big trouble in NC. They had to cancel an event at the Motor Speedway as they couldn't fill it to justify the cost of using it, many Unions are boycotting the DNC since we don't have union hotels here (right to work state), the DNC is making protestors stay far away from the event to protect themselves (so much for free speech) and they have to apply for permits to protest in designated areas (our of sight). Then our democratic governor Bev Purdue is a joke both here in NC and country wide every time she opens her mouth so they have had to hide her away until after the convention. The ex 7 terms mayor of Charlotte, a republican, is in position to take over as governor so that shows Charlotte is not really democrat friendly. And our state's unemployment just went up again. The Dems have an uphill battle in NC.
Steve...."no one has gave a crap"? I don't agree but if your going to say it, it's "no one has given a crap".
Romney is bad for America, even the real conservatives know it, their hatred for any minority is the ONLY thing pushing them toward Romney.
Yay North Carolina! Progressive state. Happy to hear it.
The OBama team is very worried right now, states they thought they had in 2009 are now turning to toss up or lean Romney. As people get to know Romney better and realize how he will help this country you will see more states going Red. Between giving away welfare with out work and throwng seniors to the dogs by raiding Medicare to support his Obama Care it is going to cost him dearly with the voters. Not to mention the trillions in debt and the high unemployment rate.
Obama has consistently led in the polls for most of those states, with Florida and North Carolina recently becoming toss ups. States like Nevada, Ohio, and New Hampshire are really not toss ups at all, as Obama has generally held solid leads there.
Come election night, look for results from Virginia, Ohio, and Florida to come in. If Obama only wins one, it could be a long night for both candiates. If he wins two, it's game over!
People don't like to admit that they will not vote for Obama, but wait and see. Romeny will win by a landslide.
Michigan all the way for Romney/Ryan