Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney kicks off a six state bus tour with a rally in New Hampshire Friday, to launch his "Every Town Counts" tour.
(SOUNDBITE) REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY, SAYING:
"From now until November, our campaign will carry a simple message: America's greatest days are yet ahead. Washington's big government agenda should not smother small town dreams. In the America we love, every town counts. Every job counts. And every American counts."
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that although Obama maintains a narrow lead over Romney, more voters think that Romney would do a better job managing the economy.
Polls show he has narrowed the gap with Obama, and he raised more money than the incumbent last month.
Republican and Democratic analysts say the election is likely to be close and the side that motivates its core supporters best, will probably win.
Romney's bus tour which will head into America's heartland, is a chance to reach out to the rural white voters who make up a crucial pillar of the Republican base.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters
