Two new JZ Analytics Polls in key battlegrounds states show mixed results for the two Presidential candidates. In Florida, President Barack Obama holds a six-point lead over GOP Presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney,47% to 41%, with 13% undecided.
The online poll of 600 likely voters was taken August 15-17 and has an overall margin of sampling error of +/-4.1 percentage points.
In Florida, Obama is bolstered by his 51% to 39% lead among women, 60% to 28% lead in southern Florida, substantial margins among voters under 50 (54%-33% among those 18-29 and 53%-32% among those 30-49), Hispanics 53% to 28% and African Americans 95% to 1%.
Romney is ahead in Florida among voters in the swing I-4 corridor 47% to 43%, voters over 65 55%-34%, and whites 51% to 36%.
Romney and Obama are in a dead heat among men (44% Romney-43% Obama) and 50-64 year olds (45% each).
When Libertarian Party and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is added to the horse race, Obama's lead grows to 46% to 39%, with Johnson garnering 2% -- including 5% among 18-29 year olds.
In North Carolina, which Obama carried in 2008, Romney leads by two points, 45% to 43%, with 12% undecided. Romney scores 90% of Republicans and leads among independents 36% to 34%. His big advantages today are among men 49% to Obama's 40%, voters over 50 (49%-43% among those 5-64 and 55% to 32% among those over 65), and whites 59% to 28%.
Obama leads Romney in North Carolina among women 46%-41%, 18-29 year olds 52%-36% and those voters 30-49 by 45%-39%. Obama has a huge lead among African Americans 85% to 7%.
Pollster John Zogby: "If Obama holds his lead in Florida then Romney has serious problems. Thus far, in the Real Clear Politics Electoral College count, Obama has sufficient leads to count 239 electoral votes and Romney has 191. 270 are needed to win. An Obama win in Florida would put him within 3 votes of a win, thus Romney would have to run the table. Not a lock yet at all, but Obama's leads in South Florida and among Hispanics, puts him in good shape. Romney's choice of Paul Ryan as a running mate is not hurting him among older voters but watch the attacks on Ryan's (now Romney's) budget and Medicare cuts get vicious. Romney's lead in North Carolina takes a state away from Obama and could be a bellwether for Virginia, which Obama also won in 2008. With Gary Johnson in the race, Obama gets 43% to Romney's 42%. Johnson's 3% looms pretty large .Something to watch."
Full Data, Xtabs and Methodology for the Florida Poll
Full Data, Xtabs and Methodology for the North Carolina Poll