Presidential Campaign Expected to Be Narrowly Contested

So now that Republicans have begun rallying around Mr. Romney, does that signal the start of a mercurial, topsy-turvy general election fight with President Obama?

Almost certainly not.

Far more likely, say election experts of all stripes, is a narrowly contested campaign revolving around the mobilization of party loyalists and an attempt to win over a small slice of voters who will remain undecided until almost the end. In other words, get used to numbers like these from the latest New York Times/CBS News poll: 47 percent for Mr. Obama, 44 percent for Mr. Romney, 9 percent uncommitted.

While either candidate could win, it is “utter nonsense” to expect large gyrations in the voters’ preferences this fall, said Mark Mellman, a Democratic pollster.

via nytimes.com