President Barack Obama's re-election campaign said Wednesday that recent polls have shown Mitt Romney's path to the White House "narrowing" but flatly denied that it was spiking the ball on the 30-yard line.
"We're running this race in every single swing state like we're five points down," campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
The Obama campaign isn't known for its bashfulness or self-doubt, but aides have long dismissed public polls. They pre-emptively scoffed at future surveys showing the president with a "bump" after the convention and have always said they expect a tight race to the finish. At the same time, aides have had an unmistakable spring in their step of late as polls in pivotal states like Ohio show their guy with an edge.
"I will say that as time progresses, the field is looking like it's narrowing for them," Psaki said. "And so, in that sense, we'd rather be us than them, because we want a field—or a path, I should say—where you can drive a Mack truck through it, not one where you can drive a little scooter through it." (Yes, Psaki is aware that she's mixing metaphors. She's funny. Trust me.)
Her comments came as both Obama and Romney campaigned in Ohio. No Republican has won the White House without carrying the Buckeye State, and the president leads here according to several recent polls. The Democrat's campaign highlighted that early voting in Ohio starts next week.