Gallup Poll has a released a new survey that ranks what voters see as the important  economic issues in this presidential campaign and facing the country.  Voters also voiced their views on who was best suited to deal with those  issues: President Barack Obama or presumptive Republican nominee Mitt  Romney.

What Gallup found were the Top 10 Economic Issues:

1.  The cost of healthcare - 84%

2.  Unemployment - 82%

3.  The federal budget, deficit and debt - 82%

4.  Weak economic growth - 79%

5.  The cost of college education - 78%

6.  The financial performance of Americans' savings

and retirement investments - 78%

7.  Home values, foreclosures and mortgates - 74%

8.   Living standards for the poorest Americans - 69%

9.  Too much wealth controlled by too few Americans - 54%

10. Government regulation and private enterprise - 51%

Who do voters see as best to meet these 10 issues:

1.  Obama:  51%   Romney:  44%

2.  Obama:  48%   Romney:  47%

3.  Obama:  39%   Romney:  54%

4.  Obama:  42%   Romney:  52%

5.  Obama:  54%   Romney:  39%

6.  Obama:  39%   Romney:  53%

7.  Obama:  46%   Romney:  48%

8.  Obama:  62%   Romney:  34%

9.  Obama:  54%   Romney:  38%

10. Obama:  46%   Romney:  49%

From  this we see on healthcare the President has a 7-point advantage. On  unemployment and the housing crisis, the two candidates are in a  statistical tie. On the budget and weak economy, Romney leads by 15 and  10 points respectively. On college costs, the President has a 15-point  edge. On retirement accounts, Romney is favored by 14 points. On the  poor, it's Obama by 28 points and by 16 points on redistribution of  wealth. The final issue of government regulation and dealings with  business, once again there is a statistical tie.

Gallup also provides a breakdown by party affiliation:

1.  Republicans: 78%   Independents:  84%   Democrats:  91%

2.  Republicans:  81%   Independents:  81%   Democrats:  85%

3.  Republicans:  93%   Independents:  82%   Democrats:  74%

4.  Republicans:  84%   Independents:  78%   Democrats:  75%

5.  Republicans:  67%   Independents:  77%   Democrats:  89%

6.  Republicans:  78%   Independents:  77%   Democrats:  77%

7.  Republicans:  74%   Independents:  74%   Democrats:  75%

8.  Republicans:  61%   Independents:  64%   Democrats:  81%

9.  Republicans:  41%   Independents:  52%   Democrats:  72%

10. Republicans:  61%  Independents:  47%   Democrats: 48%

And how did Gallup sum on the results:

When  it comes to Americans' top three issues, Republicans put a little more  emphasis than Democrats on the federal budget deficit, and Democrats put  a little more emphasis than Republicans on healthcare costs, while the  two parties have similar perceptions about unemployment. Overall, large  majorities of both groups consider all three of these issues highly  important.

Among the lower-ranking issues, weak economic growth  is uniformly rated by the party groups as highly important. However,  more Democrats than Republicans rate college costs (89% vs. 67%,  respectively) and the living standards of poor Americans (81% vs. 61%)  as highly important issues. Republicans are more concerned than  Democrats about government regulations on private enterprise (61% vs.  48%).

The widest partisan gap in the poll is seen in ratings of  the concentration of wealth, with 72% of Democrats rating it extremely  or very important, compared with 41% of Republicans.

Independents'  views are close to the national averages, with large majorities calling  healthcare, the federal budget deficit, and unemployment highly  important, but closer to 50% seeing the concentration of wealth and  government regulation as highly important.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/154727/Obama-Romney-Economic-Strengths-Americans.aspx

From the Cornfield, what is obvious from this latest poll is that it will be a squeaker of an election.

It  also points out the slightest wind, no matter which it blows, hitting  the nation's economic ship could point to toward either a Republican or  Democratic port for shelter.