Miami Herald Poll: McCain's slight edge in Florida may hinge on economy

[cal04]

http://www.miamiherald.com/979/story/695102.html

John McCain is nursing a narrow lead over Barack Obama in Florida even as voters say the Democrat is more trusted to handle their most important issue: the economy, according to a new Miami Herald poll.

The poll, taken Sept. 14-17, when Wall Street turmoil dominated world and national news, gives McCain a narrow lead over Obama -- 47 percent to 45 -- with 7 percent undecided. The poll's margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.

But if the economic crisis deepens, ''Obama is in a position to improve his poll numbers, given the confidence in his handling of the economy,'' said Democratic pollster Tom Eldon of Schroth, Eldon & Associates, who conducted the poll with Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway. The poll was also underwritten by the St. Petersburg Times and Bay News 9.

(snip)
Rick Pribell of Deerfield Beach is a Republican who sees Obama's message differently. The 44-year-old commercial Realtor is planning to cross party lines and vote for Obama because the nation's economy is ``appalling and I'm scared.''

''Everyone's spending more, but no one seems to be making more,'' he said. ``There seems to be a growing number of people going into poverty. Obama has an understanding and desire to help the working man. He has more interest in doing the right thing, not only the self-serving thing.''