Obama builds widening lead - poll

Obama builds widening lead - poll

1.10.2008

DEMOCRAT Barack Obama is building widening leads in battlegrounds Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, in new polls released today in the trio of states that could be the key to victory on November 4.

New surveys by Quinnipiac University found Obama boosted by his performance in Friday`s presidential debate, the sliding popularity of Republican John McCain`s running mate Sarah Palin and his handling of the economic crisis.

"It is difficult to find a modern competitive presidential race that has swung so dramatically, so quickly and so sharply this late in the campaign," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac polling institute.

The surveys show that Senator Obama leads McCain by a gaping 54 per cent to 39 per cent after the debate in Pennsylvania, compared to 49 per cent to 43 per cent before the debate.

He is up 51 per cent to 43 per cent in swing state Florida, compared to a 49 to 43 per cent lead before Friday`s first of three high-stakes presidential debates.

And in Ohio, Senator Obama is up eight points, 50 per cent to 42 per cent, after having led by 49 per cent to 42 per cent before the clash in Mississippi.

The trio of swing states - those which have a history of going either Republican or Democrat and swinging presidential elections - are vital stepping stones to the White House.

No candidate has won the presidency since 1960 without securing two of the three battlegrounds, all of which are seeing pitched duels and repeated campaign visits between Senator Obama and McCain five weeks from election day.

The surveys showed that more than 84 per cent of voters in each state said the debate had not changed their mind - but by margins of 13 to 17 per cent, they said Senator Obama did a better job in the clash.

Crucially for the Illinois senator, 15 to 27 per cent of prized independent voters in each state said he had won the debate against Senator McCain.

"Senator John McCain has his work cut out for him if he is to win the presidency and there does not appear to be a role model for such a comeback in the last half century," Mr Brown said.

"Senator Obama clearly won the debate, voters say. Their opinion of Governor Sarah Palin has gone south and the Wall Street meltdown has been a dagger to McCain`s political heart," he said.

In Florida, which handed George W Bush the presidency after its disputed election in 2000, Senator Obama has reversed a 50 to 43 per cent lead held by Senator McCain in a similar Quinnipiac poll on September 11.

The Democrat gained ground over the worsening US economy. Sixty per cent of Florida voters after the debate said they trusted him to handle the issue.

The state had been chalked up by many analysts as likely Republican territory, but it has been hit hard by the mortgage foreclosure crisis.

In midwestern Ohio, the pivotal state in the 2004 election, Senator Obama reversed his Republican foe`s advantage among independent voters, and again more people trusted him to handle the economy.

Senator Obama`s advance in Pennsylvania will hearten Democrats who fear that Senator McCain and Governor Palin could swing the state into their column on election day by wooing blue collar voters.

"Pennsylvania is back in its role as the most Democratic swing state in the 2008 election mainly because voters believe that Senator Obama will do a better job handling the economy," said Clay Richards, also an assistant director of the Quinnipiac polling institute.

The polls among likely voters in the three states were conducted in two groups, between September 22 and 26, and September 27 and 29. The maximum margin of error was 3.4 per cent.



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