With 100 days until vote, Obama ahead but vulnerable

According to a Wall Street Journal and NBC poll published this week, only 36 percent of American voters are confident Obama can improve the economy, while 43 percent prefer Romney, a multi-millionaire former venture capitalist.

US: With 100 days to go before the US election, President Barack Obama appears to have a slight edge over Republican rival Mitt Romney, though he is still at the mercy of a stumbling US economy. Polls show the Democratic incumbent's lead is shrinking as voters lose faith in his ability to tackle crucial domestic issues, in particular the economy, as growth slows and the job market stubbornly refuses to pick up. According to a Wall Street Journal and NBC poll published this week, only 36 percent of American voters are confident Obama can improve the economy, while 43 percent prefer Romney, a multi-millionaire former venture capitalist.

Obama and his team have been hammering away at Romney's argument that his business experience makes him the better choice to get Americans back to work, alleging that his firm often sacked US workers and sent jobs abroad.

But the attacks appear to have gained little traction with a pessimistic electorate. Unemployment is stuck at 8.2 percent and is not expected to fall below 7.9 percent by the end of the year, the White House acknowledged Friday.

Figures released by the US Commerce Department on Friday showed GDP growth in the second quarter slowing to 1.5 percent from 2.0 percent in the first, amid falling consumer demand. Economists warn that growth of less than two percent is not enough to make inroads into unemployment, and Romney's economic advisers claim that their policies could quickly double the rate.

AFP