RASMUSSEN: McCain now leads Obama 46% to 43% and Clinton 48% to 43% in the general

[Thepricebreaker]

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows John McCain leading both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in general election match-ups. McCain now leads Obama 46% to 43% and Clinton 48% to 43%. McCain has consistently held a modest lead over Clinton but he moved ahead of Obama only after publication of the controversial New York Times article last week (see recent daily results and summary of recent state.


http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll


Obama seems to be doing better then Clinton. I think the NYT story gave McCain a bump - believe it or not.
I think the RW base is starting to really get behind McCain.. This is going to be no cake walk for us as I posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4801341&mesg_id=4801341

[Submariner]

1. These polls are meaningless

until we see Obama cleaning McCrazy's clock during debates. Then the polls will be most telling.

[pintobean]

4. Agree

I'll start watching these polls after the World Series.

[leftofcool]

2. I don't place much stock in polls but

you are right, it won't be a cake walk and yes the Republican party will most definitely rally around McCain........even if they don't all like him. And if he chooses "Jesus has my back Huckabee" (not likely) he will carry the entire south and mid west.

Left of Cool

[NewJeffCT]

3. yes, the NY Times story rallied the base behind McCain

once both of them denied the sex and the NY Times came out with nothing else, the story died... even though it was more about the relationship with a lobbyist than the sex.

[Pab Sungenis]

5. They're finally uniting. We're still squabbling.

Once we unite behind a nominee, whichever one it is, the numbers will change. Then both will get bumps out of their conventions.

Still too early to rely on polls; as always, run like you're 20 points down and need to catch up.

[Sensitivity]

6. Looks like Hillary campaign is working

[pnwmom]

7. No, this poll shows that Obama and McCain are TIED.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Results within the margin of error -- which in this poll is 3% -- are a TIE. According to the laws of probability, another sample taken over the same days could just as easily have put Obama on top.

[hollowdweller]

8. To be expected. McCain and Hillary are both attacking Obama daily.

If Obama and Mc Cain were attacking Hillary she'd be gone by now. 2 candidates attacking 1 can generate more media coverage than 1.

I may be wrong but I don't think Hillary has a chance to win now but I think she has a chance to help McCain win.

[Vinca]

9. Well, if you think about it. Throw the Clinton and Obama supporters

together and that means McCain will be creamed.

[Alamom]

10. Obama: Be a Democrat for a Day .............not a great idea.

They always cross back to the dark side.

[Perry Logan]

11. Pish and tush. It's Rasmussen, you silly billies.

[flpoljunkie]

12. Realclearpolitics: Obama leads McCain by average of 3.5%.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/...

John McCain (R) vs. Barack Obama (D)

Poll Date Sample McCain (R) Obama (D) Spread
RCP Average 02/18 to 02/25 - 43.6% 47.1% Obama +3.5%
LA Times/Bloomberg 02/21 - 02/25 RV 44% 42% McCain +2%
AP-Ipsos 02/22 - 02/24 755 RV 41% 51% Obama +10%
USA Today/Gallup 02/21 - 02/24 1653 LV 48% 47% McCain +1%
CBS News/NY Times 02/20 - 02/24 1115 RV 38% 50% Obama +12%]
Research 2000 02/18 - 02/21 802 LV 44% 50% Obama +6%
FOX News 02/19 - 02/20 900 RV 43% 47% Obama +4%
Rasmussen (Tues) 4 Day Tracking 1700 LV 47% 43% McCain +4%

[Champion Jack]

13. Also...It's a Ras-publican poll

[gaiilonfong]

14. Don't forget rasmussen is a ReTHUGlican polling outfit

so believe them as much as you would beklieve Karl Rove

[cyclezealot]

15. reason we need to stop the ankle biting

it makes us all look bad.

[BeyondGeography]

16. Obama has two opponents right now

and the last two lines of attack used against him (Farrakhan and his Senate subcommittee not meeting) were given a nice big push by a fellow Democrat.

She's entitled, because it' stil a race, but if Clinton loses either Texas or Ohio, polls like this will be used by the party to pressure her to end this thing.