The latest CNN/Opinion Research survey shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain nationally by eight points, 53% to 45%.
Key finding: "Low approval numbers for the current commander-in-chief may be part of the reason Obama's fortunes are rising in the latest survey: Only 24% of those polled approve of President Bush's job performance, an all-time low for a CNN survey... And that's bad news for McCain, because the poll suggests a growing number of Americans believe the Republican nominee would have the same policies as the current GOP president. Fifty-six percent say McCain's policies would be the same as Bush's, up from 50% a month ago." http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/06/cnn-poll-obama-advantage-grows/ ===== SOME KEY STATES~~~ PPP Poll: Obama Expands Lead in North Carolina 50% to 44% A new Public Policy Polling survey in North Carolina finds Sen. Barack Obama now leading Sen. John McCain, 50% to 44%. For the first time, "Obama is earning over 80% of the vote from self identified Democrats, and that's fueling a four point increase in his lead in the state compared to last week. He now has an 82% to 15% lead with voters in his own party. His share of the Democratic vote had been anywhere between 69% and 76% in PPP's previous five surveys of the state." http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_NC_100625.pdf ===== Democracy Corps: Obama Up By Six in Ohio 49% to 43% A new Democracy Corps poll in Ohio finds Sen. Barack Obama now leading Sen. John McCain, 49% to 43%. Obama's lead is built "on an impressive 48% to 35% edge among independent voters. McCain's attempt to seize the mantle of change is falling on deaf ears in Ohio as by 24%, voters in the Buckeye state believe Obama, not McCain, is the reformer and by 18%, Ohioans believe Obama will bring the right kind of change. And in a state where the economy is king, Obama's aggressive positioning of the economic contrast with McCain has produced an 11-point Obama lead on which candidate will do a better job on the economy." http://www.democracycorps.com/strategy/2008/10/obama-emerges-ahead-in-ohio/ ===== Suffolk Poll: Obama Crushing McCain in Virginia 51% to 39% A new Suffolk University poll in Virginia shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain by a stunning 12 points, 51% to 39%. Said pollster David Paleologos: "Barack Obama has built a coalition of suburban DC area progressives from the north, African-American voters from the south, and young voters statewide. That broad-based support suggests a 44-year Republican run in the Old Dominion State, dating back to Lyndon Johnson's victory in 1964, is in jeopardy." Key finding: "The poll shows last Thursday's vice presidential debate was a net plus for the Democratic ticket. Exactly three-quarters (75%) of likely voters watched and scored Joe Biden (46%) the clear winner over Sarah Palin (26%), while 20% said neither won the debate. When asked if the debate affected their presidential selection, 32% said it made them more likely to vote Obama, while 18% said the debate moved them to McCain, and 47% said the debate didn't affect their decision." http://suffolk.edu/31220.html ===== SurveyUSA: Obama Pulls Away in Virginia 53% to 43% A new SurveyUSA poll in Virginia shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain by ten points, 53% to 43%. Since a similar poll conducted just after the Republican convention, McCain has gone from up by 2 to down by 10. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=00f2d8fb-6a3b-425d-9f27-21df796e8fe5 ===== SurveyUSA: Obama Way Ahead in New Hampshire 53% to 40% A new SurveyUSA poll in New Hampshire finds Sen. Barack Obama leading by an astonishing 13 points, 53% to 40%. A little history: "New Hampshire voted Republican in 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988 and 2000. New Hampshire voted Democrat in 1992, 1996 and 2004, but no Democrat running for President in New Hampshire has received more than 50% of the vote in the past 44 years." Key findings: Obama holds a 22-point advantage among women, 29-point advantage among young voters, 21-point advantage among Moderates, 18-point advantage among those who consider themselves an intellectual, 24-point advantage among lower-income voters, and 23-point advantage among college graduates. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=a8255cdc-82a4-4a10-8cf2-063b666e514c ===== Rasmussen: Florida Obama leads McCain 52% to 45% Barack Obama has pulled ahead to his biggest lead yet over John McCain in Florida. The latest Fox News/Rasmussen Reports survey of the state finds the Democrat ahead 52% to 45%. With the release of the latest poll, Florida moves from "Toss-Up" to "Leans Democrat" in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator. Last week, the race was tied at 47%. Just one week prior, McCain had a five percentage point lead. http://tinyurl.com/6l683k =====
