NBC/WSJ Poll: Post-primary bump for Obama - 47% Obama - 41% McCain

[Pirate Smile]

NBC/WSJ Poll: Post-primary bump for Obama
Challenges for both Obama, McCain indicate very competitive race ahead

WASHINGTON - Days after becoming his party’s presumptive nominee and receiving an endorsement from his chief rival, Hillary Clinton, Democrat Barack Obama has opened the general election campaign with a six-point edge over Republican John McCain, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Obama leads McCain among registered voters, 47 to 41 percent, which is outside the poll’s margin of error. In the previous NBC/Journal survey, released in late April, Obama was ahead by three points, 46-43 percent.

“The poll clearly shows a post-primary bump for Barack Obama,” says Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart.


-snip-
Obama’s strengths and weaknesses
In the head-to-head matchup, Obama leads McCain among African Americans (83-7 percent), Hispanics (62-28), women (52-33), Catholics (47-40), independents (41-36) and even blue-collar workers (47-42). Obama is also ahead among those who said they voted for Clinton in the Democratic primaries (61-19).

-snip-
The 200-pound ball and chain
While Obama appears to be struggling with white men and white suburban women in the poll, McCain has what seem to be even bigger challenges. They include President Bush, whose approval rating stands at 28 percent, as well as an electorate that wants change from the president’s policies.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25096620/


WSJ's write-up:

Obama Opens With Edge on McCain
By JACKIE CALMES
June 11, 2008 6:48 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama begins his presidential race against Republican John McCain with a lead in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, but not so great an edge as might be expected given the gale-force political headwinds against Sen. McCain's party.

Sen. Obama leads Sen. McCain by 47% to 41%, a spread that is twice the edge he had in the previous poll in late April, and outside the poll's 3.1-percentage-point margin of error.
Still, that lead is significantly smaller than Democrats' 16-point advantage, 51% to 35%, when voters are asked which party they want to win the White House, without candidates' names.

The record unpopularity of President Bush and the Republican Party, combined with economic worries among voters and a broad desire for change, would normally make this "the single best year for an Obama-type candidacy, and the single worst year for a McCain-type candidacy," said Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducts the Journal/NBC poll with Republican Neil Newhouse.

But Sen. Obama continues to do poorly among white male voters, according to the poll. More ominous is his weakness among white women, particularly suburbanites, who generally are open to Democratic candidates and whose votes could be decisive.

Some good news for the presumed Democratic nominee: Despite suggestions during the Democratic primary contests that many Hispanics and Hillary Clinton supporters wouldn't support him, the poll shows both groups overwhelmingly do.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121322048693265737.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

[godai]

This was reported by Andrea Mitchell as a close race, not an Obama lead.

On Nightly News, she also reported, that when Clinton is added as VP there is a clear lead for Obama, the change going from +6 to +9. Yes, that's an increase but I wonder what effect other potential VPs might have. The tone of the report seemed to promote Clinton for VP.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. I don't get it.

How the hell does he lead among blacks 83-7, Hispanics 62-28, women 52-33, Catholics 47-40, independents 41-36 and blue collar workers, yet only leads McCain by 6?

[Thrill]

2. The idiot vote. Its a voting block, Democrats can't win