Campaigning Resumes - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

New polls show President Obama ahead in key battleground states, but the number one state in the campaign now is New Jersey, ravaged by Hurricane Sandy and run by Republican Governor Chris Christie, who now is praising the president.

President Obama set out to survey Hurricane damage Wednesday instead of returning to the campaign trail.

Mitt Romney did campaign.

He spoke to supporters in Tampa, Florida and sympathized with the victims of Sandy.

"A kind of trauma you've experienced here in Florida more than once," Romney said, "and it's interesting to see how people come together."

The race in Florida is close, 48-47 in the respected Quinnipiac poll.

In Ohio, seen by many as the most important state, it's still a five point Obama advantage.

In New Jersey the president got a boost that could help in all the swing states: A warm greeting and more praise for the federal storm response from Republican Governor Christie, who's campaigned all year for Mitt Romney, and against Barack Obama, until the hurricane.

"The message that Christie is sending voters is that Obama is doing a good job. He's not a scary Socialist person. That he's someone who can be trusted," says Brookings Institution political analyst Darrell West.

Many believe that's better than any speech or TV ad.