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Battle for swing states: Wisconsin

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    Will Badger State result predict election?

  • Duration 3:48
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-- days to go until we elect our next president we've been talking about it for so long it's hard to believe that it's two days away.

We're taking a close look at the states that could be the make or break one's in the race for the White House today Wisconsin.

Voters in the badger state have picked -- winner in the last eight presidential contests.

Wisconsin carries I'm sorry five of -- presidential contest Wisconsin carries ten of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

The unemployment rate there at seven point 3% a bit lower than the national average.

Gas prices there also clocking in -- below the national average 339 a gallon.

Since April the president has campaigned in Wisconsin five times governor Romney has been there twice.

Then of course congressman Paul Ryan hails from Janesville Wisconsin.

The real clear politics average of the state polls has the president in at fifty point 4% there governor Romney coming in at 46 point two.

Craig Gilbert is the Washington bureau chief and national political reporter for the Milwaukee journal sentinel.

Is the Racine Wisconsin closer than the polls would suggest because the Romney campaign believes they have a real chance there those polls.

Aren't exactly razor thin.

Well some of the Mars some of them aren't -- mean the most discouraging thing in the polls for Romney is that he hasn't lead in the -- September or October.

-- in Wisconsin he's been tied in some of them so that's not a good sign obviously the Wisconsin is sort of one of those states -- Republicans think or argue that they can outperform the polls because of the intensity of the Republican base which is definitely there in Wisconsin.

And they hope to have a turnout -- and then you've got sort of the Ryan factor at the top of the ticket so there's.

-- is kind of an intriguing state for a variety of reasons including how much it swung back and forth between the two parties in last four years right they also Republicans also had some experience in the ground game when it came to the recall election and tried to put governor Scott Walker out of office Republicans point -- that say.

We're pretty good at this stuff.

Yeah I think both parties people both parties we'll tell you that the Republican ground game is.

Very proficient in the democratic ground game is pretty proficient -- I mean they've been going out at these two parties in election after election more elections than any other state has had in the last.

Year last -- years they're very good they're very experiencing -- have turned their voters out but certainly.

The Republicans can count on both the motivation of their voters and on the I think the proficiency of their ground game.

That's why they think -- in the hunt in Wisconsin.

Isn't it true that governor I'm sorry that our congressman Ryan in in his district to his district voted for President Obama the last time around and -- reelected congressman -- -- and you know his district you know compared to the rest of the state compared to the nation is I was saying leans a little bit Republican.

But it'll be really listing you see -- no the ticket performs in his congressional district you know we only have a congressional districts so.

If Paul Ryan whenever he adds to the ticket in his district will help him.

State wide so that's going to be really interesting number to watch what's the big issue in Wisconsin.

I think it's the same as -- warehouse it's jobs and in the you know you look at -- like the auto bailout is not at the level.

Doesn't have the profile it has an -- in Michigan and Ohio but you know there are still are some jobs in Wisconsin -- depend on the auto industry it's a huge manufacturing state compared to other states.

So those are those are big issues but you know it's it's really about the economy were kind of in a gray zone.

In -- the economic performance of the last year to where unemployment rate is below.

The national average but our job growth -- also been below the national average so.

Nothing about the economy would sort of necessarily dictate that Wisconsin -- better state for Republicans or Democrats you know the economy still issue number one all across the country.

Craig Gilbert from the Milwaukee journal sentinel Craig thanks for coming on us.

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