You can hear Romney’s complete interview at 8:30 a.m. today on Newstalk Radio WHIO 95.7 FM and AM 1290. You can watch the interview online at DaytonDailyNews.com
With new polls continuing to show Ohio is a neck-and-neck state in the presidential election, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney reached out again to Ohio voters promising to protect jobs here at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and to improve the economy.
In a one-on-one satellite interview with WHIO-TV, Romney said he does not support an additional round of Base Closure and Realignment.
“My plan is to expand our military capabilities not to shrink our active duty personnel or to shrink from the weapons programs that are necessary to defend our interest,” Romney said. The Obama administration has vowed to avoid shutting bases next year.
Heading into the political conventions, President Barack Obama is three to six points ahead of Romney, according to new polls of likely Ohio voters released Thursday. The economy, specifically jobs, is still the No. 1 issue in Ohio — 51 percent of likely voters said it’s the most important followed by 14 percent for health care and 6 percent for Medicare, according to The Ohio Poll.
Romney spoke to us after a campaign event on energy independence in Hobbs, N.M. The event appeared to be an effort to get back on message after being temporarily derailed by the controversy over Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin and his comments about rape and abortion.
Speaking about the economy, Romney said too many middle-class Americans were being squeezed by higher costs and lower income. His pitch to Ohioans goes right to that issue.
The former Massachusetts Governor said “If people in Ohio think that this is as good as it can get then they can keep voting for President Obama. But if they want to see better jobs and rising take-home pay then they’re going to have someone who actually has a plan to get the economy going.”
In response, Ben LaBolt, spokesman for President Obama’s re-election campaign said he would compare the track records of the candidates any time. LaBolt said one in five jobs in Ohio is linked to the auto industry. “This is the same governor who said we should let Detroit go bankrupt when a million jobs were on the line up and down the supply chain,” LaBolt said.
Romney and running mate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan plan a campaign stop in Powell, outside of Columbus on Saturday before heading to Tampa for next week’s Republican National Convention.
As the Akin turmoil continued to produce political storm clouds, a real hurricane could threaten the convention itself. Tropical storm Isaac threatens to hit south Florida just as conventioneers arrive.
Romney said he is not worried about the weather and that contingency plans are made.
New polls give Obama the edge in Ohio, show Senate race getting tighter
Surveys released Thursday by the Ohio Poll and Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times register slightly different pictures of how likely voters in Ohio would cast ballots if the election were held right now.
In the presidential race, The Ohio Poll says: Obama 49 percent – Romney 46 percent; the Quinnipiac University poll says: Obama 50 percent – Romney 44 percent.
In the Senate race, The Ohio Poll says: Democrat incumbent Sherrod Brown 48 percent – Republican challenger Josh Mandel 47 percent; the Quinnipiac University poll says: Brown 48 percent – Mandel 41 percent.
In the Ohio Poll, 21 percent of respondents said they’re undecided on whom to support in the Senate race.
The Ohio Poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent while the Quinnipiac University poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.
The Quinnipiac University poll, which looked at swing states, also said the race is too close to call in Florida and Wisconsin. The poll reported Obama ahead by three points in Florida and two points in Wisconsin.
Romney leads Obama by 12 points on the issue of government spending and by 6 points on the economy. Obama leads Romney by 13 points on foreign policy and by 6 points on Medicare. The two are nearly tied when it comes to taxes, health care and creating jobs.
Voters in Ohio, Florida and Wisconsin say Obama would do a better job on Medicare and they reject by wide margins a voucher-type Medicare system: 62 - 28 percent in Florida, 64 - 27 percent in Ohio and 59 - 32 percent in Wisconsin, the survey found.
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