Politics | President Obama Poll: Romney Loses Advantage on Economy Obama now viewed as better candidate to turn it around By John Johnson Posted Sep 15, 2012 8:01 AM CDT Copied Mitt Romney campaigns in the rain at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, Friday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) President Obama's convention plea for patience with his economic plans might have resonated: Mitt Romney is no longer viewed as the better candidate to fix the economy and create jobs in a new poll by CBS and the New York Times. Obama's advantage couldn't be slimmer—47-46—but the shift on what should be one of Romney's strong points is another dose of bad polling news for him heading into debate season. Romney still holds a big advantage on which candidate would get the deficit under control, but Obama trumps him soundly as the candidate who better understands the everyday struggles of voters. Also of note: The percentage of those who view the president favorably jumped to 51%, the first time it cracked the midpoint since the Osama bin Laden raid. As for the big picture, Obama leads 49-46 among likely voters, but that's within the margin of error. Read These Next Obituary reveals teacher's same-sex marriage, and he's fired. Firefighters 'didn't have a chance' in Idaho ambush. Teen Motocross star repeatedly 'run over' at event. Mark Zuckerberg's 'list' has Silicon Valley buzzing. Report an error