[h=3]By JANET HOOK, DANIEL LIPPMAN and NEIL KING JR.[/h]President Barack Obama has managed to retain a narrow lead in his race for re-election despite a spate of bad economic news and surging GOP optimism about Mitt Romney's prospects, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds.
The president outpolls Mr. Romney, his presumed Republican rival, 47% to 44%, a lead within the survey's margin of error and similar to the advantage he enjoyed a month ago. Mr. Obama's lead is wider in swing states, where the campaigns have battled most intensely.
The poll highlights challenges facing both candidates. While Mr. Obama retains a durable base of support, his standing among white, working-class voters, which was low to start with, continues to erode. Interest in the campaign isn't nearly as intense as it was four years ago among young people and Latinos, who were important to Mr. Obama's victory in 2008.
At the same time, more people viewed Mr. Romney unfavorably than favorably by a 6-point margin, with nearly one-quarter of those polled viewing him "very negatively," twice the level found in December. Mr. Romney's business background, which he has made a central element of his candidacy, is a draw for many, the poll found. But it is viewed negatively by even more people.
Overall, the survey presents the presidential race as both tight and stable. "It looks like a dead heat on a merry-go-round," said Peter Hart, the Democratic pollster who conducts the Journal survey with Republican Bill McInturff. "There is the appearance of motion, but the horses' positions haven't changed."
Mr. Obama's advantage is more pronounced in 12 battleground states which, taken as a group, favor him 50% to 42%. His larger lead in those states, which include Nevada, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Virginia, could reflect the impact of negative ads aired by his campaign that have criticized Mr. Romney's record as a businessman and portrayed him as out of touch with middle-class voters.
The president outpolls Mr. Romney, his presumed Republican rival, 47% to 44%, a lead within the survey's margin of error and similar to the advantage he enjoyed a month ago. Mr. Obama's lead is wider in swing states, where the campaigns have battled most intensely.
The poll highlights challenges facing both candidates. While Mr. Obama retains a durable base of support, his standing among white, working-class voters, which was low to start with, continues to erode. Interest in the campaign isn't nearly as intense as it was four years ago among young people and Latinos, who were important to Mr. Obama's victory in 2008.
At the same time, more people viewed Mr. Romney unfavorably than favorably by a 6-point margin, with nearly one-quarter of those polled viewing him "very negatively," twice the level found in December. Mr. Romney's business background, which he has made a central element of his candidacy, is a draw for many, the poll found. But it is viewed negatively by even more people.
Overall, the survey presents the presidential race as both tight and stable. "It looks like a dead heat on a merry-go-round," said Peter Hart, the Democratic pollster who conducts the Journal survey with Republican Bill McInturff. "There is the appearance of motion, but the horses' positions haven't changed."
Mr. Obama's advantage is more pronounced in 12 battleground states which, taken as a group, favor him 50% to 42%. His larger lead in those states, which include Nevada, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Virginia, could reflect the impact of negative ads aired by his campaign that have criticized Mr. Romney's record as a businessman and portrayed him as out of touch with middle-class voters.