CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

Poll: Bain Attacks May Be Working

In battleground states.

Obama’s blitz on private-equity firm Bain Capital may be paying dividends in key election states, even if it has cost him on Wall Street. The president’s reelection campaign drew criticism—even from Obama proxies like Newark Mayor Cory Booker—after issuing a series of ads that took a swing at Mitt Romney’s time at Bain, which the GOP candidate founded. Recent polling data suggests that around half of voters in key purple states like Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania do not think that private equity increases employment, a perception that could tug at the narrative Romney has tried to create for himself as an experienced businessman and job creator.