Obama widens advantage over Romney President Barack Obama is extending his advantage over Mitt Romney, his Republican rival who has suffered two disastrous weeks on the campaign trail, according to a raft of new polls published on Wednesday. There are, however, fears among some Democratic strategists that the bounce Mr Obama enjoyed following his party's convention earlier this month could prove temporary, although Mr Romney's missteps on the Middle East and remarks belittling half the electorate could help the president solidify his advantage. Overall, the polls remain tight, showing that the race for the White House will be closely fought. In Wisconsin, one of the nine swing states that will determine the outcome of the November 6 election, Mr Obama has the support of 51 per cent of likely voters to Mr Romney's 45 per cent, according to a new Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News poll. The president has extended his lead in the battleground state since Mr Romney named Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin congressman, as his running mate last month. Mr Obama will visit Wisconsin on Saturday, his first visit there this campaign season. The poll also found that Mr Obama had overtaken his rival on the question of who is best placed to handle the economy, and that he has a 17-point lead when voters were asked if they thought a candidate cares about their needs and problems. The poll was carried out before the video from a fundraiser in Florida surfaced, showing Mr Romney telling wealthy backers that the president could count on the support of 47 per cent of Americans who rely on government, don't pay tax and "believe they are victims." Many Republicans were aghast at the comments, which could alienate half the electorate, including senior citizens, most of whom no longer pay tax and constitute an important voting bloc on the right. Mr Obama holds a clear lead over his Republican rival in another swing state, Virginia, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. It found that Mr Obama leads 52 per cent to 44 per cent among likely voters in the state, which is considered crucial for Mr Romney to win if he is to clinch the presidency. Among all registered voters, the president leads 50 per cent to 43 per cent, a margin identical to that recorded in a survey in early May. That indicates that Mr Romney has made up little ground during four months of intense advertising and campaign visits, the Washington Post reported. However, Mr Obama's re-election team would be unwise to declare mission accomplished yet. Other polls show that the candidates remain locked in a statistical tie. A USA Today/Gallup poll across 12 battleground states, completed on Monday night, showed the president had a two-point lead, with 48 to 46 per cent, but this was well within the survey's margin of error and a point closer than last month's survey. Nationwide, Mr Obama's bounce from the convention appeared to be dissipating, and he now leads across the country by a single point, with 47 per cent to Mr Romney's 46 per cent. These findings are in line with a new Associated Press-GfK poll, which found that the two candidates were almost evenly split, with Mr Obama winning 47 per cent support and Mr Romney taking 46 per cent. However, it also found that 17 per cent of likely voters have not yet committed to a candidate. Mr Obama continues to lead among women while Mr Romney has an advantage with men, the AP/GfK poll found. White voters without college degrees favour Mr Romney by more than 30 points over Mr Obama, with 63 per cent backing the Republican. This is a much wider gap than the 18-point margin John McCain held over Mr Obama among this demographic in the 2008 election.