AP, NY Times: Growing Anxiety Among Democrats

Two stories published this week note that Democrats are increasingly uneasy as they see challenger Mitt Romney surging in the polls. While Democrats still expect Obama to pull off a win, there is a dawningrealization that this is not going to be anything like the 2008 election.

An AP story published Tuesday highlights the anxiety Democrats in Ohio are feeling. One of those anxious supporters of the President is 57-year-old Cheryl Austin, who says she sees a lot of Romney signage in her town, and it “concerns” her. Tom Joseph, another Obama supporter, tells the AP, “I don’t see near that many Democrat signs.” Polls show the President still leading in Ohio, though his advantage there has diminished over the last month.

A similar note of concern appeared in a NY Times story published Monday. “The president, aware of deepening worry among Democrats about theprospect of losing the White House…” is how the Times sets up a story on Romney’s momentum. The story notes the tone in Romney’s Boston HQ has shifted from gallows humor last month to real optimism.

How close might this election be? As the Times story notes, Obama is traveling to NH this weekend to try and prevent a repeat of the 2000 election scenario. If you remember that one, it was decided in one state (Florida), after recounts, hanging chads, lawyers and eventually some Supreme Court intervention. In the end, the winner was elected by a few hundred votes. While the last scene may shift from Florida to Ohio, 2012 is looking more like a repeat of 2000 than 2008.