Poll: Obama/Biden Take Eight-Point Lead

Democratic Ticket Gets Boost After Convention, CBS News Poll Finds

(CBS)  Democratic nominee Barack Obama's lead over Republican John McCain has grown after the Democratic convention, which 71 percent of Americans say they watched. Obama and his running mate Joe Biden now lead McCain and Sarah Palin 48 percent to 40 percent, according to the latest CBS News poll.

This is the first CBS News poll to include the vice presidential candidates in the horserace question.

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Read The Complete Poll:
Post-Democratic Convention Poll

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The eight-point lead for the Democratic ticket is up from Obama’s three-point lead before the convention. But there are still a significant number of voters who have yet to firmly make up their minds.

Before the Democratic convention, McCain enjoyed a 12-point advantage with independent voters, but now Obama leads among this group 43 percent to 37 percent. Obama's lead among women has also grown to 14 points (50 percent to 36 percent), and the Democrat maintained the lead he had before the convention among voters who supported Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

The poll shows an increase in the number of Obama voters who are enthusiastic about him. Sixty-seven percent of Obama voters say they enthusiastically support him, which is up from 48 percent who said so before the convention. About a quarter of McCain’s backers are enthusiastic about him--unchanged from before the Democratic convention.

Sixty-three percent of registered voters say Obama understands their needs and problems, while just 41 percent say that about McCain. And after the Democratic convention, 58 percent of voters say Obama is "tough enough," which is up from 48 percent in early August.

Though Obama has seen his lead grow, there are still areas where he has room to improve. The latest CBS News poll shows no change in the percentage of registered voters who say Obama has prepared himself well enough for the job-- a sentiment in which McCain has held a large advantage. But fewer voters now say Obama is not prepared for the job of President than before the convention.

Although 50 percent of voters now say that Obama has made it clear what he would do as president (up from 41 percent), 44 percent still say the Democratic nominee has not made it clear.

[jhndricks]

We launched an Obama/McCain t-shirt competition and are seeing the same trend. http://www.collarfree.com/ContestProfile.aspx?id=4

[jhndricks]

We launched an Obama/McCain t-shirt competition and are seeing the same trend. http://www.collarfree.com/ContestProfile.aspx?id=4

[roy214]

If God be for Obama who can be against Him that set I cant wait to see the last pools show a wider margin of 18 points lead for Obama /Biden next week that will please me big time I count on it so sould you they realy is going to make a difference dont you think Joe and Barack I mean Barack and Joe well you know Obama and Biden yes Biden and Obama and us Barack Obama and Joe Biden and the American peoples yehhhhhhh" I finally got it right as you have God Bless America and God Bless alls Americans and God Bless senator Obama Barack and senator Biden.

[bfjones666]

Well, we knew that there were going to be some folks who would never vote for the Dems because there was a black man on the ticket. I guess we''ll find out for real how many people will never vote for a woman. We almost found out during the Virginia primaries when 7% of the voters refused to vote black or female on the Democratic side, voting for Edwards and other (as long as other was a white man). I guess now we''ll see how this works nationally.

[dashortround]

Only 2 years ago, Palin was only the "Mayor" of tiny little Wasilla, Alaska (population 5,470).

If SHE can be VP, then any "Mayor" of any town of 5,000 or more can be the next GOP VP choice!

LOL...

[dashortround]

A mere 18 months in her very FIRST State-level (not even Federal-level) office is NOT enough experience for a VP.

Sorry.

Only two years ago Palin was just the Mayor of a tiny little village of only 5,000 people, in a very remote state.

She got her very first U.S. Passport just last summer -- prior to that she''s never even traveled outside the US!

Let me repeat that: before last year she had never even traveled outside the US!

To put her in as #2 to the oldest candidate in history, who''''s already fighting cancer, is reckless in the extreme.

[jon2012-2009]

Palin is a sideshow. The big issue in this election hasn''t changed: Whether Republican conservatism, which has given us the worst presidency in George Bush, should have another shot at running this country and lead us to further ruin.

[lucilioness]

EVERY AMERICAN, BLACK, WHITE, YELLOW, PURPLE, OR GREEN, WHO CAN AFFORD TO WHERE FOUR-HUNDRED DOLLAR SHOES, OWNS TWO TO SEVEN HOUSES, AND MAKES TWO TO THREE-HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, SHOULD VOTE FOR MCSAME. REGULAR, WORKING-CLASS AMERICANS OF ANY COLOR HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDDREN FOR YEARS TO COME. WHAT COLOR IS FREEDOM!

[wakeup60]

All the way...........OBAMA/BIDEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can''t wait until the Debates !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on November !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mcvet-1]

Have white Americans forgotten who they really are? Pretending not to be racists does not make you egalitarians, you know. Deep inside you are terrified at the mere thought of a black family in the White House, soiling two centuries of tradition.

When November comes, American whites, rich and poor, educated or not, will run to McCain arms in panic. Better start accepting that white trash Sarah Palin and warmonger McCain will lead you by your noses for the next 12 years.

Posted by Oskarum at 03:22 AM : Sep 03, 2008

Oh I don''t think so! At every turn in our history when it has become necessary to step up to change the history and course of this nation, American''s have stepped up and done just that. IF they choose to vote as you say then they deserve to continue to see their standard of living drop. It''s at the bottom of the G-7 now and will most certainly go by that if we get 4 more years of Fascist rule. No I differ with you... I believe America is up to this and will overcome the hate and bigotry!! SIEG HEIL McSAME