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Where does WH race in Virginia really stand?

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    A look at tight battle for swing state

  • Duration 4:48
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We are you.

The election headquarters and right now governor Romney is barnstorming.

Across Virginia a key battleground state that is too close to call.

In 2008 President Obama became the first democratic presidential candidate to carry Virginia since 1964.

The latest real clear politics polling average now shows a virtual tie in that state with the governor Romney -- in Virginia.

By half a point 47 point nine to 47 point four.

Julian walker is a staff writer for the Virginian pilot in Julie and I know that you know the real clear politics obviously takes all of the polls and averages them out that's where they get that number from.

But you're seeing conflicting messages in the polls taken in Virginia some have the president ahead some -- Romney ahead.

That's right.

A number of polls have been released in recent days and on balance while the numbers have fluctuated.

We see in the same picture emerging that we've seen at least the last week or so which is the average of the polls.

Show President Obama and governor Romney.

Virtually tied.

For the race for Virginia is thirteen electoral votes.

A Rasmussen survey at a Roanoke College survey had the governor Romney efforts by two points and five points respectively.

Washington Post and quinnipiac polls had him up by four points and President Obama up by four points and two points to other surveys showed the race is virtually tied.

The core of president Obama's support in Virginia comes from the northern part of the state right and the northern part of the state is this is the part that got hit the worst.

By this storm water the president's people saying about you know how they feel about their prospects.

Well that that that kind of key urban areas in the state whereas the Democrats and President Obama would expect to do well.

Our Northern Virginia and the kind of central Richmond central Virginia Richmond area.

And in portions of Hampton roads along the eastern seaboard as you point out the Northern Virginia was hard hit by hurricane sandy.

Several of the voter registrars out there.

I had to suspend their office hours during the storm as a result and at the request of governor Bob McDonnell here in Virginia.

Some of those registrars are extending their hours in the coming days to allow those Virginians who were qualified to vote early absentee to do so.

But certainly the impact of the storm could could impact to turn out the one thing that may yarder against that is that.

Much of the power restoration work has has been progressing rapidly in Virginia and so that that may.

Not dampen turnout as much and some of those areas.

One of the parties in Virginia is that especially in the northern part to unemployment is not such a problem because you know -- Washington DC.

Being up there bordering that part of the state.

In the employment situation with the growth in the federal government has been pretty good right.

-- Virginia has its faired better during the recession than many other states it's unemployment late rate has been lower.

That a number of other states and as you point out a lot of that is attributable to the fact that there is federal government jobs and spending.

In the kind of beltway area in Northern Virginia and on the other side and Maryland and then down in Hampton roads long I get along the eastern seaboard.

There is this significant military installations and so a lot of defense spending down there.

And so one of the concerns for Virginia and one of the things is played out in both the presidential race here and that.

Hotly contested US senate race here is what the looming fiscal cliff and sequestration would mean for Virginia going forward.

President Obama one independence.

And me in fact.

In part won the election in 2000 eight by winning independence in Virginia is there any indication how he's doing among independents now.

Well some of the polling suggests that governor Romney is leading with independents.

The keys to this election in Virginia are going to be registration they're going to be turn out and there are going to be organization.

You've got the Republicans -- concede that in 2008 they perhaps took Virginia for granted assuming that it was a safe red state.

They are not missed making that mistake this time around Republicans have more about thirty offices in Virginia and are working hard and -- ground game has made millions of order context.

On the flip side of that you've got the Obama campaign.

Which has built on its successful ground game in 2008 has about sixty offices here.

And they believe that that they have some advantages the Republicans point to early voting trends.

As an advantage for them in places that McCain Palin ticket won.

In 2008.

Democrats look at some registration numbers and think that that's an advantage for them however Virginia's not a state that has.

Party registration -- as voter registration by party ID.

So it's kinda hard to tell who has a registration -- there well and it looks like a tie at this moment Julian walker from the pilot in Virginia there thank you.

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