ID :
26942
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 02:04
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/26942
The shortlink copeid
Obama leads McCain in Republican base
Washington, Oct 27 (PTI) Democrat Presidential hopeful
Barack Obama has opened up an eight-point lead over his rival
John McCain in the traditional Republican stronghold of
Virginia.
A latest poll by The Washington Post showed Obama now
leads McCain by a margin of 52 percent to 44 percent.
Virginia, which delivers 13 electoral votes to the U.S.
electoral college, had been eyed by the Obama camp from the
very beginning as a state that could be added on to the
Democratic candidate's list.
No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the
so-called Republican fortress since 1964, however Obama was
seen as inching his way up in every category of voters.
Obama leads in the categories of the economic challenges
and on the issue of the much needed change but trails on who
would make a good commander in chief.
Last month Obama had a mere three-point lead that was
seen at the time as statistically not too significant.
The poll has shown that Obama is now tied with McCain
among college-educated white men and in the process overcoming
what had been a near 30-point deficit for the Democrat.
Political analysts have long maintained that the key to
Obama's success in Virginia is to look beyond Northern
Virginia where the Illinois Democrat now has an almost 2 to 1
advantage over McCain.
There are now indications that Obama has also softened
the rural parts of the state that are solidly Republican base
and stayed with the party for several decades.
The newspaper maintains that part of Obama's late
advantage is to be traced to widespread voter unease about the
economy, record low approval ratings for President George W.
Bush and a growing number of voters who have strongly negative
perceptions of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
President Bush carried Virginia in 2004 by eight
percentage points but today his approval rating in the state
is 27 percent which is seen as a major liability for McCain.
According to the poll Governor Palin is also seen to be
dragging down McCain with one half of Virginia voters now
having either "strongly" or "somewhat" negative views of the
Alaska Governor, a 12 percentage point increase from
September.
Interestingly, voters are now split between the two
Senators on the issues of handling Iraq and terrorism, seen at
one time a high point of the campaign of McCain.
But the poll still shows that Obama has still one big
hurdle to clear in the state as voters are split 50 to 47
percent on the question of whether he would make a good
commander in chief.
And a slim majority of independent voters and almost 60
percent of veterans now think he would not be effective in
that capacity and overall McCain has a 16-point lead among
veterans. PTI S.K.
RKM
NNNN
Barack Obama has opened up an eight-point lead over his rival
John McCain in the traditional Republican stronghold of
Virginia.
A latest poll by The Washington Post showed Obama now
leads McCain by a margin of 52 percent to 44 percent.
Virginia, which delivers 13 electoral votes to the U.S.
electoral college, had been eyed by the Obama camp from the
very beginning as a state that could be added on to the
Democratic candidate's list.
No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the
so-called Republican fortress since 1964, however Obama was
seen as inching his way up in every category of voters.
Obama leads in the categories of the economic challenges
and on the issue of the much needed change but trails on who
would make a good commander in chief.
Last month Obama had a mere three-point lead that was
seen at the time as statistically not too significant.
The poll has shown that Obama is now tied with McCain
among college-educated white men and in the process overcoming
what had been a near 30-point deficit for the Democrat.
Political analysts have long maintained that the key to
Obama's success in Virginia is to look beyond Northern
Virginia where the Illinois Democrat now has an almost 2 to 1
advantage over McCain.
There are now indications that Obama has also softened
the rural parts of the state that are solidly Republican base
and stayed with the party for several decades.
The newspaper maintains that part of Obama's late
advantage is to be traced to widespread voter unease about the
economy, record low approval ratings for President George W.
Bush and a growing number of voters who have strongly negative
perceptions of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
President Bush carried Virginia in 2004 by eight
percentage points but today his approval rating in the state
is 27 percent which is seen as a major liability for McCain.
According to the poll Governor Palin is also seen to be
dragging down McCain with one half of Virginia voters now
having either "strongly" or "somewhat" negative views of the
Alaska Governor, a 12 percentage point increase from
September.
Interestingly, voters are now split between the two
Senators on the issues of handling Iraq and terrorism, seen at
one time a high point of the campaign of McCain.
But the poll still shows that Obama has still one big
hurdle to clear in the state as voters are split 50 to 47
percent on the question of whether he would make a good
commander in chief.
And a slim majority of independent voters and almost 60
percent of veterans now think he would not be effective in
that capacity and overall McCain has a 16-point lead among
veterans. PTI S.K.
RKM
NNNN
