ID :
16776
Sat, 08/23/2008 - 20:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/16776
The shortlink copeid
Obama ahead of McCain in Republican territories: Poll
House candidate Barack Obama is a point ahead of his rival John McCain in Republican tilted battleground States that supported President George W. Bush by five percentage pointover John Kerry in 2004, a just released poll shows.
The poll, conducted for National Public Radio, represents six percent swing in favour of the Democrat, which is consistent with Obama's 3 point lead shown in the Wall StreetJournal/NBC poll released Wednesday.
The poll in 19 battleground States shows that the race is close (46/45 percent) but Obama seems to be holding all States Kerry held and has a 3-point lead in large number of Statescarried by Republican Bush.
Obama's lead, the poll found, is grounded on bringing the right kind of change, being on voters' side and restoring respect for America in the world. The two candidates are splitting independents, something Congressional Republicansfailed to do in 2006.
In the media war, the respondents say they are getting more information from Obama, but on advertising, they are much more likely to have heard negative ads about Obama than aboutMcCain.
Television remains the dominant source for information, but a quarter have visited candidates' website or been part of chain email. Among those under 40 years of age, 40 percenthave gotten information in this way.
The poll results reveal voter doubts about both candidates' presidential qualities that may explain why neither seems to be able to break through a kind of ceilingthis summer.
In the national head-to-head matchups, Obama can't seem to break 50 percent and McCain is stuck somewhere in the lowto mid-40s.
The poll, conducted from August 12-14 by a bipartisan team of pollsters, surveyed voters in 19 states where the polling shows the race is very close or where the candidates have decided to make major investments of time and money,says Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg.
President Bush won 14 of these 19 states in 2004. Bolger points out that Obama compared poorly with McCain on a numberof presidential attributes in the poll.
Fifty-one percent of the likely voters surveyed thought Obama was too risky, compared with 38 percent for McCain. The Arizona senator had an advantage of 10 percentage points when it came to being seen as a strong leader and having what ittakes to be the President.
"The fact that this is a very close race nationally, despite the political environment totally going [Obama's] way, underscores the perceptual challenges that Obama faces interms of not being seen as a leader," Bolger says.
But the poll also exposed weaknesses for McCain. Asked which candidate is independent, 46 percent said Obama and 42 per cent said McCain. That's a blow to what Greenberg says wasonce McCain's stock in trade.
"His brand was also rooted in being independent," Greenberg says of McCain, adding, "What he had to do to win the nomination has lost him a great deal. On the other hand, Obama does have important advantages: on bringing the right kind of change, restoring our respect in the world. Those are also important presidential attributes."
The poll, conducted for National Public Radio, represents six percent swing in favour of the Democrat, which is consistent with Obama's 3 point lead shown in the Wall StreetJournal/NBC poll released Wednesday.
The poll in 19 battleground States shows that the race is close (46/45 percent) but Obama seems to be holding all States Kerry held and has a 3-point lead in large number of Statescarried by Republican Bush.
Obama's lead, the poll found, is grounded on bringing the right kind of change, being on voters' side and restoring respect for America in the world. The two candidates are splitting independents, something Congressional Republicansfailed to do in 2006.
In the media war, the respondents say they are getting more information from Obama, but on advertising, they are much more likely to have heard negative ads about Obama than aboutMcCain.
Television remains the dominant source for information, but a quarter have visited candidates' website or been part of chain email. Among those under 40 years of age, 40 percenthave gotten information in this way.
The poll results reveal voter doubts about both candidates' presidential qualities that may explain why neither seems to be able to break through a kind of ceilingthis summer.
In the national head-to-head matchups, Obama can't seem to break 50 percent and McCain is stuck somewhere in the lowto mid-40s.
The poll, conducted from August 12-14 by a bipartisan team of pollsters, surveyed voters in 19 states where the polling shows the race is very close or where the candidates have decided to make major investments of time and money,says Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg.
President Bush won 14 of these 19 states in 2004. Bolger points out that Obama compared poorly with McCain on a numberof presidential attributes in the poll.
Fifty-one percent of the likely voters surveyed thought Obama was too risky, compared with 38 percent for McCain. The Arizona senator had an advantage of 10 percentage points when it came to being seen as a strong leader and having what ittakes to be the President.
"The fact that this is a very close race nationally, despite the political environment totally going [Obama's] way, underscores the perceptual challenges that Obama faces interms of not being seen as a leader," Bolger says.
But the poll also exposed weaknesses for McCain. Asked which candidate is independent, 46 percent said Obama and 42 per cent said McCain. That's a blow to what Greenberg says wasonce McCain's stock in trade.
"His brand was also rooted in being independent," Greenberg says of McCain, adding, "What he had to do to win the nomination has lost him a great deal. On the other hand, Obama does have important advantages: on bringing the right kind of change, restoring our respect in the world. Those are also important presidential attributes."
