Reuters/Zogby poll: Obama 47%, McCain 40%

[Hope And Change]

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) listens to his introduction before making a foreign policy speech on Iraq and American National Security in Washington, July 15, 2008. REUTERS/Jim Young (Reuters)

Obama has 7-point edge on McCain: Reuters poll

(2008-07-16)

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama has a 7-point lead on Republican John McCain in the U.S. presidential race, and holds a small edge on the crucial question of who would best manage the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

More than a month after kicking off the general election campaign, Obama leads McCain by 47 percent to 40 percent. That is slightly better than his 5-point cushion in mid-June, shortly after he clinched the Democratic nomination fight against New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

But Obama's 22-point advantage in June among independents, a critical voting bloc that could swing either way in the November election, shrunk to 3 points during a month in which the candidates battled on the economy and Obama was accused of shifting to the center on several issues.

Obama had a 44 percent to 40 percent edge nationally over McCain on who would be best at managing the economy, virtually unchanged from last month. Among independents, the two were tied on the economy.

"There has been a real tightening up among independents, and that has to be worrisome for Obama," pollster John Zogby said. "It doesn't seem like Obama is coming across on the economy."


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The national survey of 1,039 likely voters had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

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http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wned/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1319317">Read the entire article here

[ErinBerin84]

1. who in their right mind would ever think that McCain could manage the economy?

[Colobo]

2. He's winning by 7%, Zogby. He's doing fine.

[uponit7771]

3. Do McSame supporters even live in America, why in the world would they think he'd do different

[Dawgs]

4. "There has been a real tightening up among independents, and that has to be worrisome for Obama,"

I just read a great point about independants earlier. I think it was on www.politicalbase.com.

It said something like, 'many independants are former Republicans that are moving away from the party'. They still might support McCain over Obama, but they are no longer willing to call themselves Republicans. So, it's not necessarily bad news - like Zogby wants to claim.

[harun]

5. I don't believe any of the polls right now. McCain should not be getting

over 20% in any of them.

[Goblinmonger]

6. 7 points with a 3.1% error margin means nothing.

It's July; let's let this thing run its course for a bit.