Quinnipiac: Obama leads in Virginia and Wisconsin; Romney leads in Colorado

A new swing state poll from the New York Times, CBS and Quinnipiac finds President Obama and Mitt Romney splitting key battlegrounds.

Obama leads the former Massachusetts governor 49 to 45 percent among likely voters in Virginia and 51 to 45 percent in Wisconsin. But Romney leads 50 to 45 percent in Colorado.

Romney’s edge in Colorado appears to come from a smaller gap among women voters than in other states. Obama only leads with women by 8 points there, compared to 14 points in Virginia and 23 in Wisconsin.

In all three states, Romney leads with voters making $50,000 to $100,000 while Obama takes voters making less than $50,000 a year. In Colorado, voters making more than $100,000 a year tilt toward Romney, but in Virginia they favor Obama. In Wisconsin they are split.

But in all three states, Romney leads by double-digits with white voters who did not graduate from college and make $30,000 to $100,000 a year.

Independents are closely divided in Colorado in Wisconsin, but in Virginia they support Romney 50 percent to 43 percent.

Colorado was the only state of the three where more voters thought Romney’s private equity experience “the right kind of business experience” than thought he was ”too focused on making profits.” Voters in Colorado are also more pessimistic about Obama’s ability to help the economy.

Nine out of 10 voters in all three states say they have made up their minds and are sure of their votes.

The poll has a 3-point margin of error; only Obama’s lead in Wisconsin is statistically significant. Other polls have shown Obama leading in Colorado and a closer race in Virginia.

Last week Quinnipiac surveyed Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania and found Obama leading in all three. That poll was criticized for sampling significantly more Democrats than Republicans.