A new Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Tuesday evening, finds Romney has closed to within a single point of Obama, among registered voters – 45 percent to 44 percent. Obama led by seven points a month ago.

According to the Ipso’s press release, the poll was mostly taken after “a rough week for Obama’s campaign capped by his remarks on Friday that the private sector of the economy was ‘doing fine.'”

The poll offers further evidence that Obama’s misleading attacks on Romney’s private sector experience at Bain Capital, which been questioned by many leading Democrats, and Romney’s economic record as governor of Massachusetts have not hurt Romney:

“Romney now leads Obama 46 percent to 43 percent among all registered voters on the question of which candidate would be stronger on jobs and the economy. That reversed Obama’s 2 point edge on the question last month.”

The new poll also found Obama’s approval ratings have dropped from 50 percent to 47 percent his lowest rating since January.

As in previous polling, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found Obama is losing the critical Independent voters.

“Obama’s approval ratings took their biggest dip among independent voters, who could be crucial to the ultimate outcome of the election in November. Approval for Obama among independents fell from 48 percent to 35 percent.”

Obama’s stumbling campaign caused Democrat pollsters Stan Greenberg and Erica Seifert,  and strategist James Carville to write in a Democracy Corps research document that the Democrat’s making progress theme for 2012 race is not effective:

“Based on focus groups in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the strategists argue that voters are simply not convinced that the economy is on the move and it’s a mistake to try and tell them otherwise.”

They could have added that saying “the private sector is doing fine” doesn’t help.

When poll after poll find the economy is considered more important than all other issues combined, Obama should be concerned when Carville, best known for Bill Clinton’s “it’s the economy stupid” campaign mantra, says Obama’s economic message isn’t working. As Mitt Romney has said “it’s still about the economy …and we’re not stupid.”