NBC/Marist: Obama up in Virginia

A new NBC/Marist poll of the commonwealth of Virginia shows Barack Obama holding a narrow, 46%-42%, lead over Mitt Romney among registered voters.

Internals:

a. Obama's approval rating is 49%/45% -- good enough to win, bad enough to guarantee it won't be easy.

b. Adding VA Gov. Bob McDonnell to the ticket would narrow Obama's lead to 46%-44%.

c. There's a favorability gap. Obama is at +8%, while Romney is at -3%.

d. Obama and Romney are tied on the economy (46%-45%, respectively), and 72% say it will be their deciding factor in choosing a candidate.

e. Obama leads on social issues (+5%), foreign policy (+15%), and relatability (+17%).

Meanwhile, as in Florida, Romney leads on the deficit (+10%).