The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Public Policy Polling released a poll Thursday that has President Barack Obama with a six point lead over Mitt
Romney in Wisconsin. This joined several other polls all giving the president about
a five to seven point lead heading into the final six weeks of the campaign. The polls have come out at a time when the nation is looking at
Wisconsin as a litmus test for the nation’s leanings headed into the election.

The New York Times blog FiveThirtyEight wrote about waiting to hear from Wisconsin, a swing state
that had not been polled since the convention cycle. Specifically, they wondered
what had happened since the selection of Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan had
gotten him within two points of the president.

Nevertheless, Romney is doubling down on Wisconsin with the ‘Super
PAC’ Restore Our Future putting $820,000 into ads for the state. This came after Romney had already invested in eight other
swing states, and is surprising that they made a later decision to invest in
Wisconsin, where we have been such a clear example of the economic and social
conversations happening around the country.

The president has also increased his interest in Wisconsin, spending $353,000 on ads this week and attending a rally in Milwaukee this past Saturday.

The heightened attention and perceived ‘in-play’ aspect for Wisconsin is certainly
interesting. Romney’s spokesman Ryan Williams told USA Today, “The president’s team
never thought he would need to seriously defend Wisconsin, but his failed economic
policies, crushing tax hikes and abysmal jobs record have put the Badger State in
play.”

Consider that with the fact that it is Paul Ryan’s home state and presidential candidates have carried their VP’s state 72
percent of the time since World War II. Not to mention the loud majority of support Gov. Scott Walker received in his recall, and it is almost surprising it is not
Romney with the slight edge heading into October.

Actually, the seven-point lead for the president looks strikingly similar to Gov. Walker’s 53 to 46 percent victory over Tom Barrett in the recall election in June.
I think it is a testament to the people of Wisconsin that the numbers could vary so widely. As an electorate we do a good job of separating issues, but it seems for many in the middle, defending Walker and his decisions doesn’t translate
automatically to Romney.

Walker won because he effectively convinced the people of Wisconsin he cared
about their needs and was willing to take definitive actions to help. This is exactly
the kind of thing Romney desperately wants to rub off on him, but for now it
doesn’t seem like Wisconsinites are buying it. The Public Policy Poll showed Obama
with a 17-point lead over Romney when voters were asked if the candidate cared
about their needs and problems, a number perhaps inflated by the Mother Jones video in which Romney called 47 percent of the country “victims … who
believe the government has a responsibility to take care of them.” Romney wrote
those 47 percent of people who don’t pay federal income tax off as automatic Obama
supporters, but right now, he probably wants them back.

John Waters ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism.