“In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.” A poll from right-leaning Rasmussen Reports, meanwhile, puts Obama ahead by three points, but only one when you include “leaners”. [Reuters and Rasmussen]
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CitizenGeek
Wasn’t Zogby the agency that called the 2004 election for Kerry? Yes, I think they were. So it’s probably -good- news that Obama is losing this poll!
Vicente Fox
seen as a stronger manager of the economy
He certainly knew how to manage the Keating Five.
hells kitchen guy
Where do I pick up my “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hillary” button?
emb
Americans are a simple people, and want simple solutions that don’t demand too much thought or action from them. As long as mccain continues to address energy and economic policy as being as easy as jumping up and down screaming “drill now!” he’s going to be more popular than someone who says “This is complicated and will take work and sacrifice.” Well Ick–who wants THAT?? Never mind that even mccain admits that drilling is mostly a “psychological” solution and not a real one. Never mind that the potential price benefits of drilling are miniscule and way off in the future. Never mind that the only people to benefit from opening up federal lands and oceans to drilling are big oil companies who are happy to lay waste to anything they can get their hands on.
This is all very frustrating.
Joey
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Not only is that funny, it’s true!!!
Chris Holden
Just a week ago, Zogby gave an interview in which said the race is basically over, Obama has 285 electoral votes and McCain 165. With only 80-some left, McCain couldn’t win. Now, he has McCain up by 5%?
Zogby did qualify his prediction last week by saying that Obama’s huge under-30 supporters have to make their presence felt in November. Something which they rarely do, alas.
afrolito
Whoever wins, will do so with a razor sharp margin.
GoodBuddy
Keep in mind that this is a poll of likely voters. And polls are often weighted to adjust the data. Unless you know all of the details of who is surveyed, how, and how the results have been weighted, you cannot fully understand the results.
There are many factors that might affect the vote as well. For example, and larger portion of young voters might show up than expected. Or their might be a higher turnout of African American voters than in usual elections. These would work in Obama’s favor. The most interesting data item to me is this:
“Obama’s support among voters between the ages of 18 and 29, which had been one of his strengths, slipped 12 percentage points to 52 percent. McCain, who will turn 72 next week, was winning 40 percent of younger voters.” There won’t be a big benefit to Obama from a big youth vote if they are split.
Or race might be a bigger factor than people anticipate. On previous gay and lesbian issues that have come up for a vote, the polls have often shown the election to be close, but the final vote will have gay people losing by a large margin. When alone in the voting booth, people often express prejudices that they will not tell pollsters.
I suspect that this is not going to be an easy election to get accurate data through traditional polls.
Jason
One thing to remember…..national polls do not matter in a Presidential election.
mark
We have more nervous Nellies,(pun intended)on the Left, than Pfizer’s got pills.
Obama probably did slip some when Russia attacked Georgia, fear makes soccer Mom’s nervous and they lurch right. Even 5 points, with plus or minus 3 points is a f*ckin blip statisticly. Polls also skew to older voters with landlines, and pollsters haven’t any contact info on young and NEW voters…that favors McSame.
Rocinante
As long as McCain keeps this even in the Polls he will win by 8+ Points. The Bradley effect will come in to play. Americans are by nature centrists and do not vote for radical change. Obama represents radical change and when everything is taken into consideration the self titled independants and undecideds will go with a safe vote and the least radical.
The primary reason I won’t be voting for Obama is I don’t want one party holding all the cards. The radicals (ie. Pelosi and Reed) on the left are just as scary as those on the right.
mark
Rocinante
get into THIS Century, Harold Ford’s poll numbers were almost identical to votes he received.
Hoping for a Bradely effect will be your undoing.
todd
What about all the Ditto heads who switched to vote for Hillary, but now they are unable to vote in the general election???
gay as life
In a way I’m glad this is happening, so Obama supporters don’t become complacent. I’ll be voting for Obama, but I still think he’s a terrible candidate and will lose. But the idea of a McCain White House is just terrifying. I’m losing faith in our country to make the better choice.
CHURCHILL-Y
“I’ll be voting for Obama, but I still think he’s a terrible candidate” “But the idea of a McCain White House is just terrifying.”
Gay as life, what makes you think that after all he has said about us so far and all his alliances with renowned homophobes and he’s promise to expand this Nations Faith Based Programs an Obama White House isn’t going to be as terrifying for us your life as a Gay and us Gay folk in general?
This “Ditto head” who voted for Hillary will not be complacent either because just as Rocinante I don’t want to see a party holding all the cards specially when those wanting to hold them are made up of a bunch of homophobes from the likes of Leah daugherty and Donna Brazile the last thing we need is to put on as the head of such Frankenstein someone so bad on our issues as Obama.
Joeb1212
I LOVE those poll numbers and they’re only going to get better as people see what a empty piece of shit Obama is.
ron
Well it’s nice to see that people have woken up & the half-negro, closet-muslim Obama won’t be in the white house anytime soon.
polobear
has anyone else noticed that McSame will say anything to become president?
Plus anyone who serves in a war is a hero in my book especially the ones who do their job and don’t get captured
gay as life
CHURCHILL-Y – I don’t think that Obama will be great for us gays. But I do think he will be better than McCain. And I think having Obama in the White House would improve our current terrible image with the rest of the world. McCain will just continue and worsen our current war mongering ways.
I’m not voting solely on gay issues. And I think McCain will be a disaster for the USA and our place in the world.
Mr C
Ron @17 said