'Start packing your bags, Mr Obama'

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has asked United States President Barack Obama to "start packing", showing confidence that he would be able to defeat the incumbent in the November presidential elections.

"Well, start packing. That's what I'd like to say," 65-year-old Romney told ABC News in an interview when asked what his message to the US President was.

"Obviously we have a very different view. The President, I'm sure wants another four years, but the first few didn't go so well," he said.

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Romney said Obama's policies have not helped the American people. "They have not helped get jobs, they have not helped raise incomes and they've added trillions of dollars of debt."

"He has guided America in the wrong direction, and it's time for us to return to the principles of freedom and opportunity that got this nation where it is today," he said.

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Romney's wife, Ann too had a message for Obama.

"I believe it's Mitt's time. It's our turn now," she said.

"We don't divide America based upon success and wealth and other dimensions of that nature. We're one nation under God. This is a time when people of different backgrounds and different experiences need to come together. I happen to believe that I'm by far the best qualified in this race between myself and President Obama," Romney said.

He alleged that Obama would try to divert the attention of Americans.

"The president is going to try and do everything possible to divert from the attention being focused upon his record as president and the failure of his economic policies. So he's going to try to make this campaign about the fact that I've been successful, that I've made a lot of money," he said.

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Romney leads Obama by two points in the first national daily tracking poll in run up to November presidential elections.

While Romney is supported by 47 per cent of national registered voters, Obama has backing 45 per cent in the inaugural Gallup Daily tracking results from April 11-15.

However, this comes within the three per cent margin of error.

Notably, 65-year-old Romney is yet to be formally declared the Republican presidential nominee.

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Gallup said this initial report is based on interviews with 2,265 registered voters, and highlights the potential closeness of this year's race, with Romney and Obama essentially in a statistical tie.

Gallup's previous general election trial heat, from a national poll conducted March 25-26, showed Obama with a slight 49 per cent to 45 per cent lead over Romney.

However, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, Obama leads Romney by three per cent nationally, although the average doesn't take into account the latest Gallup numbers.

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