Sept. 1, 2008
Poll: Obama/Biden Take Eight-Point Lead
Democratic Ticket Gets Boost After Convention, CBS News Poll Finds
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(CBS/iStockphoto)
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News Tools Poll Database Search for results from the latest CBS News national polls on the president, the campaign and more.
Many people still have a lot to learn about the two VP candidates.
Views of Joe Biden run favorable by 2-to-1, with about half still undecided.
Views of Sarah Palin run favorable by 2-to-1 but among fewer people, since two-thirds still don’t know enough about her to give an opinion.
Voters’ reaction to the selection of a woman as vice-presidential nominee is not much different than it was nearly 25 years ago, when Walter Mondale chose Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. A quarter of voters are excited about it, and 60 percent think it’s all right. Just 11 percent think it’s a bad idea.
But few voters say that having Palin on the Republican ticket will change their vote much. Just 13 percent say they are more likely to vote for McCain as a result of having Palin on the ticket, while about as many (11 percent) say they are less likely to do so. Seventy-two percent say it won’t make a difference in their vote.
Interestingly, Palin’s selection may have the greatest effect on men. Seventeen percent of men say they are more likely to vote for McCain as a result, while just 10 percent of women say the same. Eighteen percent of Republicans say they are are more likely to vote for McCain.
Meanwhile, Obama's selection of Senator Joe Biden as his running mate also affects few voters. But in those cases where it does matter, Biden’s presence has a greater net positive impact than Palin’s. Fifteen percent are more likely to vote for Obama as a result of the Biden pick, while just four percent are less likely to do so. One in five independents say the choice of Biden will make them more likely to vote for Obama.
Michelle Obama has boosted her favorable ratings considerably with the convention with 41 percent of voters now having a favorable opinion of the potential first lady (up from 28 percent in August). Hillary Clinton's favorable ratings are now the highest she has enjoyed in about a decade with 52 percent of registered voters having a favorable opinion of her.
This year, it is particularly challenging to measure any “bounce” Obama might have received as a result of his convention, due to the compressed timeframe of the conventions and the emergence of Hurricane Gustav as a major news story. That said, Obama appears to have received a three-point increase in support, which is similar to the increase George W. Bush received in 2004 after his convention. John Kerry received no bounce from his convention in 2004.
This poll was conducted among a random sample of 875 adults nationwide, including 781 registered voters, interviewed by telephone August 29-31, 2008. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points; for registered voters the sampling error could be plus or minus four percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.
©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 1680 CommentsOnly 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...
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.
Can''t wait until the Debates !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on November !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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
Posted by concerns47 at 09:32 AM : Sep 03, 2008
You know these 6th grade drop outs are so embarrassing. I live in Illinois and the figures this poor uneducated bootlicker use''s is rediculous. Why? Because the way the Senate in the State of Illinois move''s bills to committee or to other places is for representatives to vote "Present" or "No Vote" on then. IF this loser had the intelligence to read and understand the system of OUR state he''d have known that. Aren''t all of you embarrassed by these Knuckle Dragging Fascist?? I sure am!! SIEG HEIL McSame
When November comes, American whites, rich and poor, educated or not, will run to McCain arms in panic.
Posted by Oskarum
Obama is about as threatening as Cliff and Claire Huxtable. He is nearly on the opposite end of the spectrum in regards to what whites perceive as the "black experience." Yes, there are some whites that will vote based on fear or hatred, and think that Obama will bring the "ghetto" to the White House. There are also blacks that are voting for Obama strictly on the because of race, and think that things are going to be easier for them if he is President. Both rationales are silly. Except for his skin color and parentage, he actually has more in common with whites than blacks. Poor whites may vote for McCain, but the man can''''t even remember how many houses he has, and thinks that the middle class earns millions. Oh, SURE he can identify with them. Their agendas are not the same. A candidate''''s ability to lead is not diminished by the fact that some random group of nuts support him. I''m a black woman, and I am NOT voting for him based on his race. My issues and beliefs are what I care about, and it would make no sense for me to abandon them and defect to a party whose views are completely in opposition to my own.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400629&tab=votes
He did introduce many bills, only a few were enacted.
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
Obama is about as threatening as Cliff and Claire Huxtable. He is nearly on the opposite end of the spectrum in regards to what whites perceive as the "black experience." Yes, there are some whites that will vote based on fear or hatred, and think that Obama will bring the "ghetto" to the White House. There are also blacks that are voting for Obama strictly on the because of race, and think that things are going to be easier for them if he is President. Both rationales are silly. Except for his skin color and parentage, he actually has more in common with whites than blacks. Poor whites may vote for McCain, but the man can''t even remember how many houses he has, and thinks that the middle class earns millions. Oh, SURE he can identify with them. Their agendas are not the same. A candidate''s ability to lead is not diminished by the fact that some random group of nuts support him.
She has a record/history as a member of a Separatist Group in Aliska that wanted Alaska to withdraw from the lower 48.
Of course our wealthy News Media Corpations will not tell you this because the GOP backs the Wealthier Class of citizens.
As Mayor of such a small town, she does not have the experience in management than any CEO of a small corparation with 8000 employee, such as any Warden in the State of CA.
As Governor of Alaska for 18 months, she has not even spent 1 term and has found herself under indictment for misuse of power (didn''t keep her nose out of trouble.)
Her family''s history makes you wonder where was wife and Mother while all this was going on. As a child that was pragnant out of wedlock I have the right to question this. My teenage years with devoted parents, devoted to each other and church, I felt very unloved and sought love to fill that void. The were not bad parents, just to busy for me.
That was a rotten dirty trick to put Palin in for VP. Hillary supporters don''t wanr a pro-lifer as VP, at least I don''t. I have more federal job & foriegn experience than Palin and I am a woman.
Maybe I should run for VP, at least I have years of federal service experience.
Can''t wait until the magic day of November 4th. And thank God Bushy will be out of our hair and lives on January 20th. What a celebration for all of us.
Yep, Obama/Bidem will win by a landslide. That''s my prediction.
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.
Biden''s promise on Tuesday, that an Obama Justice Dept. will fully investigate & seek prosecution of all those in the Bush II Administration involved in any criminal activity is by itself, reason enough to back these guys.
Biden has given solid indication that under their governance, they will seek justice & that those guilty of crimes will have to pay.
Let''s hope that Obama will hold true to the sake of justice & will abide by Biden''s promise.
Many of the most serious crimes imaginable, have been committed by members of this Administration & Federal agents & the military who have done their bidding.
The public needs to know that for once, those in power may not always escape being made to account for their crimes. People need to know that the laws of the land isn''t just for the masses.
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