I am fond of saying, "there's politics, and then there's reality."

I might need to amend that to "there's reality, and then there's Facebook."

I am Facebook friends with activists on both sides of the debate.  On the right side, you would swear that Republicans are dismayed by the candidacy of Mitt Romney and that this election is about numerous issues along with the economy.

The basics still apply.

The latest poll of swing state Iowa reveals that President Obama and Mitt Romney each pull about 80-85 percent of the votes of their own parties. The economy is the top issue among Iowa voters.

And the race remains about attracting independents. The candidates are tied within the margin of error among independent voters and therefore, tied among voters in general.

The one ominous sign for Obama in Iowa is that voters trust Romney more on the top issue of the economy. Should that number hold, independents will break the tie in November by breaking for Romney.