It's the Economy, Stupid: What to Expect in The 2012 Presidential Race

Seeing as how the GOP presidential primary is pretty much over (unless, of course, you still believe in some sort of secret delegate master plan), we can turn our attention to the final battle between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

As the November election approaches, the two candidates will fight over ten key battleground states: Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Iowa, Arizona, and New Hampshire. The following video from The Economist explains the issues most likely to sway voters in these states.

The thing on everyone’s mind (and the thing most likely to sink President Obama’s reelection bid) is the economy. Polling data shows only a quarter of Americans think the "economy is headed in the right direction."

Will voters stick with the president’s current economic policies or will they try something new and vote for Mitt Romney, the former chief executive of Bain Capital?