Obama takes huge lead over McCain in various opinion polls

Washington, Nov 2 (PTI) With three days left for the US
presidential elections, Democratic nominee Senator Barack
Obama has taken huge lead over his Republican challenger
Senator John McCain in various opinion polls.

In the Gallup Poll Tracking, Obama has taken a 10
percentage point lead against McCain -- 52 percent to 42
percent -- in the category of traditional likely voters and
expanded likely voters.

While, Saturday's Rasmussen tracking poll showed that the
race was remarkably stable at the national level and in
Senator Obama's favour with 51 percent to 46 percent.

And but for Senator McCain's campaign contention the race
has tightened up in the battleground states. Where there are
indications that Senator Obama is expected to do better than
the expected in some of the critical states in the West and
the Mid-West including the battleground areas to post a
comfortable victory.

Meanwhile in coffee cup poll, which started eight years
ago by the convenience stores chain 7-Eleven, has given
Senator Obama a huge 20 percentage point lead over his rival
Senator John McCain.

The month-long poll starts with customers selecting the
cup – blue for Democrats and red for Republicans – in which
they want to drink their coffee.

The customers have three rows of cups to choose from –
Obama cup, McCain cup and independent cup for those who are
yet to decide. Customer pays for the coffee and the chain
tallies the cups selected for each candidate.

It had correctly predicted results for both the
presidential elections held since then.

Senator McCain keeps returning to Virginia and Ohio in
the final days of the showdown, a clear indication that the
candidate and the campaign are not yet for sure that these two
traditional Republican strongholds can remain "Red States"
that the incumbent George W Bush carried in 2004.

On the contrary if Senator Obama keeps coming back to
Virginia and Ohio it is out of a conviction that these "Red
States" can be carried on November 4.

But a lot of the Obama campaign's focus has also been in
the Western part of the US ensuring that the Republican
strongholds in the states of Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado
are broken and the Illinois Democrat has been hammering away
at the economic underpinnings of America as it stands today
after eight years of the Bush administration including
returning to his expected themes on jobs and outsourcing.

"In this election, the biggest gamble we can take is
embracing the same old Bush-McCain policies that have failed
us for the last eight years. We have tried it their way. It
has not worked. It is time to turn the page," Senator Obama
said in his Weekly Radio response to the address given by
President Bush.

"As President, I will give a tax break to 95 per cent of
workers and their families, and eliminate income taxes for
seniors making under USD 50,000. Unlike John McCain, I will
end tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and
give them to companies that create jobs here in America.

"We will create two million new jobs by rebuilding our
crumbling infrastructure and laying broadband lines that reach
every corner of the country," Senator Obama said in his
yesterday's address.

But in a speech at a rally in Henderson, Nevada, the
Illinois Democrat touched several aspects of the campaign in
the last two years inclouding reminding his supporters not to
slack off in the final moments.

"Twenty-one months later, my faith in the American people
has been vindicated. That's how we have come so far and so
close - because of you. That's how we will change this country
- with your help. And that's why we can't afford to slow down,
sit back, or let up for one day, one minute, or one second in
these last few days. Not now. Not when so much is at stake,"
Senator Obama said.

"When it comes to jobs, the choice in this election is
not between putting up a wall around America or standing by
and doing nothing. The truth is, we won't be able to bring
back every job that we've lost, but that doesn't mean we
should follow John McCain's plan to keep giving tax breaks to
corporations that send American jobs overseas and promoting
unfair trade agreements," Senator Obama said.

The Illinois Democrat also called for a tone of civility
in the national debates on issues where Americans differ.

"We need a return to responsibility and a return to
civility. Yes, we can argue and debate our positions
passionately, but all of us must summon the strength and grace
to bridge our differences and unite in common effort - black,
white, Asian, Hispanic, Native American; Democrat and
Republican, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight,
disabled or not," Senator Obama said.

"In this election, we cannot afford the same political
games and tactics that are being used to pit us against one
another and make us afraid of one another" he added.