Swing voters say Obama better for Medicare

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PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Voters in swing states trust President Obama's plans for Medicare slightly more than those of his Republican rival Mitt Romney, a poll indicates.

Potential voters in those states favor Obama over Romney, 50 percent to 44 percent, to deal with issues facing the healthcare system, the polling company Gallup discovered.

The survey included voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Neither the number of people who participated in the poll nor its margin of error was given

Those polled were evenly split on whether either Obama or Romney would have much effect on Medicare. A third said each presidential candidate would strengthen Medicare, a third said each would weaken it, and another third said neither would make much difference.

Young adults in the swing states were optimistic about Medicare's ability to provide benefits 20 years from now. Overall, however, 53 percent of those asked were pessimistic about Medicare's future.

The poll, conducted Sept. 11-17, was completed before Romney's so-called "47 percent" comments, so the impact from those statements was not measured.