I think there’s evidence to support the theory that the anti-Romney ads, hitting him as a merciless corporate raider, are working.

Obama’s overall job-approval rating remains in the mid-40s to 50. His lead in the RealClearPolitics average of the head-to-head matchup with Romney is increasing a bit from mid-June, but the president’s total percentage remains in the high 40s: 47, 48, 44, 49. It’s Romney who has slipped a bit, from 47 in Gallup to 43, from 43 in Fox News to 40. Not a slot, but a few points here and there.

Call me crazy, but I suspect we’ll see a bit more poll volatility this year than in previous cycles. The president has turned in a record that is pretty darn disappointing to Americans, but at least some are willing to conclude that it’s not all his fault; some months Romney will look like a very strong challenger and some weeks he’ll look bland, distant, content to be the alternative rather than take a risk in being bold and perhaps divisive. Both candidates have solidified their bases, and the folks in the middle seem unsold on both candidates so far this cycle.

Anyway, in the Tuesday edition of the Jolt . . .

Forty-Seven Percent of Polling Statistics in Headlines Are Made Up on the Spot
Terrible polling news, just terrible!
In a general election showdown between the president and the presumptive GOP nominee, 49% of registered voters nationwide say that if the November election were held today, they would vote for Obama, with 46% saying they’d vote for Romney. The president’s three point edge is within the poll’s sampling error. The results are identical to the numbers from the last CNN poll, conducted in late May.
I’m telling you, all is lost! Batten down the hatches! Abandon ship, prepare to evacuate to your overseas destinations you’ve prepared for the worst-case scenarios . . .
. . . oh, wait a minute:
About a third of all Americans live in states that are not considered safe Republican or safe Democratic strongholds, including toss-ups states (like Florida and Ohio) as well as states that lean toward one presidential candidate but could ultimately wind up voting for his rival. In those 15 “battleground states,” the poll indicates that Romney currently has a 51%-43% advantage over the president among registered voters, if the election were held today.
CNN’s list of battleground states include Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
I see a couple of “ought to be gimmes for Romney” in that list, namely Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, and maybe North Carolina . . . but Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were supposed to be pretty deep blue heading into this year, so it’s about even.
And then there’s this result:
Fifty-nine percent of registered voters who describe themselves as Democrats say they are extremely or very enthusiastic about voting this year, up from 46% in March. Fifty-one percent of registered voters who call themselves Republicans are extremely or very enthusiastic about voting, unchanged since the spring.
Really? I’m not saying that’s impossible, but . . . does that sound right to you? I suppose some of Obama’s moves like the gay-marriage decision, the totally-not-an-amnesty amnesty, the new prospects for Obamacare the Obama Health Care Tax . . . but are Democrats really walking around with that much more enthusiasm about Obama, and his endless 8 percent or higher unemployment, than Republicans have to get rid of him?