The latest Rasmussen Tracking Poll, conducted October 2-4, 2012, and released October 5, 2012 shows “President Obama attracting support from 49% of voters nationwide, while Mitt Romney earns the vote from 47%.”
The Rasmussen Platinum Members [Subscribe here] have access to the crosstabs, which reveal this result:
Candidate | White | Black | Other |
Romney | 54 | 14 | 31 |
Obama | 40 | 86 | 59 |
Including Leaners it looks like this:
Candidate | White |
Romney | 55 |
Obama | 41 |
That’s actually lower than Rasmussen showed when Patrick Cleburne wrote Rasmussen: Even Including "Leaners" Romney's White Vote Lead Static.
The most recently released CNN Poll, PDF, conducted September 28-30, and which includes leaners, shows
Candidate | White | Non-White |
Romney | 56% | 22% |
Obama | 41% | 73% |
That’s still no good. At best, about where McCain was in 2008—when he lost.
These polls were taken too early to account for any bounce that Romney may have received from his debate. Romney is generally acknowledged to have won the debate—Pat Buchanan, a lifelong political professional, was very impressed. But John Derbyshire, representing the ordinary, disengaged voter, was uninspired. He noted specifically the lack of any National Question issues which would fire up the GOP’s white base. Thus, even if Romney did win the debate, he lost an opportunity. (Specifically, an opportunity to see Obama lose his temper, like George Jefferson.)
