All Knotted Up In Ohio

Supposedly.  The paper of record here in Cincy has a poll showing a 49%-49% tie with one percent undecided and one percent third party candidate.

The race for the White House continues to be too close to call in Ohio, according to a new Enquirer/Ohio News Organization Poll that shows President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney each with 49 percent support from likely voters.

That’s a slip for the president, who took 51 percent of likely voters in the newspaper group’s September poll.

Romney’s support grew among males, among high school and college graduates and among respondents in every age category except 18 to 29.

The two candidates also tied in scaring voters – 29 percent of poll respondents said they’d be scared if Obama won, and the same amount said they’d be scared if Romney won. Half said they were very enthusiastic about voting, 21 percent said they were not so enthusiastic or not enthusiastic at all.

Your mileage may vary on the poll's accuracy, but they do get the next part right strategically:

“In the final days before the election, both campaigns will focus on turning out their bases, appealing to independents and attracting the few undecided voters that remain,” said Eric Rademacher, co-director of the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research, which conducted the poll. “Absent any more twists and turns, a remarkable presidential campaign may end with the campaign that executes the best  ‘ground game’ narrowly delivering Ohio for the next president of the United States.”

Needless to say, Josh Romney's involvement in voting machines here in Ohio is even more important, as is continued early voting.