New Hampshire a Toss-Up in Presidential Race

Obama has lost his old edge, but Romney hasn't closed the deal

With just 11 weeks left of this election, President Barack Obama is in a close race with Mitt Romney for the Granite State, whose four electoral votes are a key piece of the puzzle for both men in a campaign with a relatively small number of states truly in play.

For Obama supporters, the current state of play is a product of the president's numbers returning to their pre-2008 levels and falling in line with where Democrats tend to trend in the competitive state. Romney, Democrats note, is running in a state where he is well known, lives part time and has been watched from next door for a full decade as a former Massachusetts governor. They argue it raises questions about why the Republican — who has an all-economy, all-the-time message — has not yet closed the deal in this libertarian-minded state.