Obama wipes out Romney lead in polls with superstorm boost - but will continued scenes of suffering come back to haunt him?
The race for the White House is all tied up nationally with both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on 49 per cent after the president received a small boost after Hurricane Sandy.
Rasmussen, which has given Romney a small but consistent lead, found that Obama had drawn level by Thursday night on 48 per cent.
But images of the continued hardship in New York and New Jersey and growing anger about delays in restoring vital services threaten to take the 'Comforter-in-chief' sheen away from Obama in the coming days.
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US President Barack Obama greets supporters during a campaign rally at Springfield High School in Springfield, OhioRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to an overflow crowd during a campaign rally at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion at State Fair Park today Rasmussen, which has given Romney a small but consistent lead, found that Obama had drawn level by Thursday night on 48 per cent
Obama was pictured embracing a victim of the disaster on Wednesday in New Jersey and most voters thought then he was doing an 'excellent job'.
But since then, Obama has hit the campaign trail in earnest with stops all around the rest of the country while the misery for millions without power, gas and food continues up the North East coast.
Early voting figures in Colorado and North Carolina indicate that Romney should win those states.
But the polls are agonisingly tight for him in the must-win states of Florida and Virginia and he still trails in Ohio.
Obama appears to have the edge in Nevada and Iowa.
Barack Obama holds a baby aloft while on the campaign trail in Las Vegas, Nevada Obama addresses a campaign rally at the Franklin County fairgrounds today in Hilliard, Ohio US President Barack Obama addresses the crowds at the campaign rally at Springfield High School in Springfield, OhioPresident Obama greets supporters before walking on stage to speak during a campaign event at Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio today Obama walks up to speak at a campaign event at the Franklin County fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio The race for the White House is all tied up nationally with both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on 49 per cent Obama greets a young supporter with a 'high five' at a campaign rally at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio, today
If Romney loses Ohio, he probably needs to win Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.
Long considered safe Democratic states, the Obama campaign argues that Romney’s late decision to compete there is a sign of desperation rather than strength.
In a boost to Republican morale, new polls by Rasmussen find Romney level in Wisconsin and ahead by one point in Iowa.
But the RealClearPolitics average of polls in those states puts Obama up five points in Wisconsin and up two points in Iowa.
Romney greets supporters during a campaign rally at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion at State Fair Park. With less than one week to go before election day, Mitt Romney is campaigning in Wisconsin and Ohio Romney pictured in WisconsinRomney has promised voters 'real change' Romney looks over his speech backstage before a campaign rally at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion at State Fair Park
Mitt Romney sits backstage with his son Craig Romney before a campaign rally
Romney trails in the polls by an average of five points in Wisconsin and two points in crucial Ohio