The most recent poll from Wall Street Journal/NBC News confirms that the race remains remarkably stable despite recent events and a wave of attack ads. In their new poll of registered voters they found President Obama leading with 49 percent compared to Mitt Romney’s 43 percent. This is a modest improvement for Obama since last month when the same poll had him leading by just three points.

Voter approval of the Republican Party is now at an all-time low. According to a new WSJ/NBC poll (PDF) Americans’ esteem for the Republican Party is at the lowest level ever found in the 16 years this question has been asked.