Poll: McCain Takes Post-Convention Lead

Republican Nominee Leads Obama For First Time In New CBS News Poll; Running Mate Sarah Palin A Factor

(CBS)  Republican presidential nominee John McCain leads Democratic rival Barack Obama 46 percent to 44 percent in the latest CBS News poll, which was taken in the three days following the completion of the parties' nominating conventions.

The poll marks the first time that McCain, whose two-point lead is within the poll's margin of error, has led Obama in CBS News general election polling.

Obama led McCain by three points in a CBS News/New York Times survey released on August 20th, just before the political conventions, and led by 8 points in CBS News polling just after the Democratic National Convention. A CBS News survey conducted last week found the two candidates tied.

Though Obama supporters had been much more enthusiastic about their candidate than McCain supporters prior to the conventions, the enthusiasm gap has narrowed considerably. Forty-two percent of McCain's backers now say they are enthusiastic about their candidate, up from 24 percent before the conventions. Fifty-three percent of Obama supporters say the same of their candidate, up slightly from the pre-convention survey.

Roughly 80 percent of both candidates' backers say their minds are made up.

Registered voters have responded positively to the convention address given by McCain running mate Sarah Palin, who was added to the Republican ticket just more than a week ago. Nearly half say the have a better opinion of the Alaska governor as a result of the speech; just 16 percent say the speech gave them a worse impression of her.

Read The Complete Poll

Fifty-three percent of registered voters - including 85 percent of McCain supporters - are glad Palin was selected as McCain's running mate. Obama supporters are less enthusiastic about Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden: Just 65 percent of Obama backers are glad the Delaware senator was selected as Obama's running mate. Forty-eight percent of registered voters overall are glad Biden was selected.

A third of voters say the vice presidential choices will have a great deal of influence on their vote, with those backing the Republican presidential ticket more likely to say running mates will influence their decision.

More voters see Biden, who is a six-term U.S. senator, as prepared to be vice president. Biden is described as prepared for the job by 70 percent of respondents; less than half say the same of Palin.

The Alaska governor is seen as more relatable than her Democratic rival, however. Sixty percent of registered voters, including 64 percent of women, describe Palin as someone they can relate to. That's twenty percentage points higher than the forty percent of registered voters who say they relate to Biden.

Palin's favorable rating now stands at 44 percent, twice what it was immediately after her selection as McCain's nominee. Biden's favorable rating stands at 37 percent, identical to his pre-convention rating. Independents are more likely to have a favorable opinion of Palin (46 percent) than they are of Biden (31 percent).

McCain's move ahead of Obama can be traced in part to movement among previously undecided voters. In this survey, CBS News re-interviewed respondents to a CBS News/New York Times poll taken in mid-August. While many previously undecided voters remain undecided, more of those re-interviewed have moved towards McCain than Obama.

Thanks in large part to the Palin selection, McCain has rallied his white evangelical supporters. The percentage of white evangelical McCain supporters re-interviewed for this survey who are enthusiastic about McCain has doubled to 48 percent from before the convention.

Nearly three in four former supporters of Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, now back Obama over McCain. In the August survey, a smaller percentage, 63 percent, backed the man who bested Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

Both Obama and McCain have talked about bringing change to Washington, but Obama's message appears to be resonating more strongly with voters. Sixty-five percent of Americans think Obama and Biden will bring about real change in Washington, while only 46 percent think the same is true of McCain and Palin.

But McCain has gained ground in this area. In July, before he chose Palin as his running mate, only 28 percent of registered voters said McCain would bring about real change if he were elected President in November.

Forty-two percent of all voters say McCain would continue the policies of the Bush administration if he is elected president - slightly fewer than the 48 percent who said so last week. Voters are now more likely to expect McCain to adopt more conservative positions than President Bush, with 30 percent expecting a McCain administration to adopt more conservative policies. That's up from 20 percent before McCain selected his running mate.

Each candidate has the same strengths and weaknesses as in previous polls; Obama still leads in understanding people’s problems and bringing change, while McCain's lead in experience has expanded. Fifty-seven percent of registered voters say they relate to Obama, while 45 percent say the same of McCain; 76 percent say McCain is prepared to be president, however, while just 42 percent say Obama is prepared for the job.

Fifty-five percent say McCain is "very likely" to be an effective commander-in-chief, up from 46 percent last week. One in four registered voters says the same of Obama. Forty-one percent of Obama backers who have reservations about the candidate cite "inexperience" as their primary concern, while 13 percent of McCain backers with reservations cite the possibility that McCain will be too much like the current president as their primary concern.

Republicans took numerous shots at the news media during their convention last week, and a majority of voters believe the media have been harder on Palin than the other candidates. Voters are more likely to say the media have been easier on both Democratic candidates, especially Obama, who is cited by 36 percent of respondents as the candidate upon whom the press has gone the easiest.

---

This poll was conducted by telephone September 5-7, 2008 among 738 respondents first interviewed by CBS News and the New York Times August 15-19,2008. CBS News re-interviewed 655 registered voters for this poll. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample and registered voters could be plus or minus four percentage points. The error on measures of individual change is much smaller.

[danstoned]

Thanks in large part to the Palin selection, McCain has rallied his white evangelical supporters, who are the biggest hypocrites in US history.

[fightfascism]

next step for mcsame & caribou barbie: rig the electronic voting machines and make sure some minorities cant have access to the polls. and people think it''s cuba that''s run by commies!

[summarex]

It''s not surprising really.
The democrats won the congress and they were expected to launch investigations of what led to the war. They were supposed to impeach Bush and Cheney and start putting culprits on trial for their lives. But instead they chose to play it safe and did nothing hoping to coast to a victory in 2008. No one respect cowards. If they lose they will have deserved it.

[fightfascism]

sorry gopig hockeymom, hockey''s not a partisan sport ready to be hijacked by you goosesteppers -just go ask a canadian, they despise what the repuklickin''s have turned this country into.

[hawksprings]

What?
How could an old decripit white guy and a 44 year old mother of five be ahead of the Messiah and the guy who will do his Biden?

[fightfascism]

did you hear about the repuke-lickin''s throwing away thousands of american lives over a kitty litter box in the middle east called eye-rack?

[danstoned]

Posted by gophockeymom
Did you hear the stroy about Democrats of throwing away 12,000 American flags? Whats the matter libs, the ceremonial flag burning ceremony at the convention get rained out or something? Typical liberals, no respect for the flag.

No, but I do now that Republicons all have the character of used car salesmen, and they will tell any lie that they think will help their cause. Although they never can provide a source for their lies. ONce a lying fascist, always a lying fascist.

[tonic1111]

Alaska has no state taxes or income taxes because Alaska wants to attract people there. They only have 600,000 in the whole state.

Mayor of a small town of 5,000 at the time she was mayor would have been something akin to event organizer.

This woman has a degree in journalism acquired over six years. It was a four year degree. She attended six different universities to acquire the degree.

Obama is a professor of constitutional law who graduated from Harvard at the top of his class. He was a state senator for seven years and is a U.S. Senator for 3 1/2 years now.

Please think.

[steeepe]

Americans just don''t learn. Palin is Un-American (her secessionist views), a religious zealot, anti-science, and has no experience to prepare for the Presidency when McBush dies in office. McBush is a liar and a craven hypocrite. What a joke! And that ticket leads? What a frickin'' stupid country!!!!

[downtowner97]

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! There''s a lot of people need killin'', and McCain is the man to do it.

The Christians can go to the pearly gates with a list of all the people they''ve killed in God''s name, and receive their rewards. The reward isn''t virgins, but streets of gold! Personally, I''m not sure who needs that much gold, but it sounds good on paper.

[kevingrze]

gophock... is a lying, disgusting person. The flag thing is a lie. An old confused 72 year old war monger who lies and a 44 year old woman who lies, the Repugs are traitors to the common decency of Americans. Enough of the lies and incompetence of the Repugs!!!

[danstoned]

Republicans took numerous shots at the news media during their convention last week, and a majority of voters believe the media have been harder on Palin than the other candidates.

Odd, Big US medis has been slandering Barack for 7 months now non-stop, but they never report the truth about the pathological liar and now fulltime neocon John McCAin. America is clearly a fascist nation lead by Corporate unaccountablity, a John McCain trademark..

[noloyalisti]

The Government of Pigs doesn''t want to talk about the issues. Like how McSame-Palin will continue these disastrous policies.

I am really suspicious of these polls anyway because they are reported on the right wing fascist corporate media. And of course they just want a couple stupid puppets they can manipulate.

[marshall65]

Those poll numbers are fine, Obama doesn''t want to peak until late October. Besides, everyone looking at the poll numbers had better watch those monitoring the Democratic lead overall. Congress is going Democrat and IF there is substance to half the stories about Palin''s shenanigans in Alaska, McCain''s story will end abruptly.

[ioweign]

Did you hear the stroy about Democrats of throwing away 12,000 American flags? Whats the matter libs, the ceremonial flag burning ceremony at the convention get rained out or something? Typical liberals, no respect for the flag.

Posted by gophockeymom at 04:36 PM : Sep 08, 2008

Typical Neocon to believe BS from Fox...

THE BOGUS FLAG STORY.... It seems Fox News and some far-right blogs are excited about the latest in a series of lies from the McCain campaign -- the notion that thousands of American flags from the Democratic convention were going to be thrown away.

Like far too many of the stories pushed by the McCain campaign, and embraced by Fox News and far-right blogs, it''s not true.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/06/politics/animal/main4422762.shtml

[blackwater66-2009]

To IRAN & Russia!!

Many stand against us, but they will never win,
We said we would return and here we are again,
To bring them all destruction, suffering and pain
We are the hammer of the Gods, we are thunder, wind and rain.
Vote McCain in November and keep us safe !!

[rdupuy11]

on a wide range of issues McCain and Obama take the same approach. Whether its their position on the South Ossetia - Georgia conflict, or the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bailout.

Be excited, your candidate will win. The only question is which of your candidates will win, and thats only a matter of aesthetics, no real philosophical debate is occurring. You''d have to dig down into 3rd parties, consider someone like Bob Barr, if you wanted to find someone coming from a different viewpoint on the issues...and if you do that, I hope you have strong character, because you will almost be alone in doing so.

We will either get tweedle dee or tweedle dum. For the life of me, I don''t know for what purpose to get excited about which is chosen.

[usclimey]

Did you hear the stroy about Democrats of throwing away 12,000 American flags? Whats the matter libs, the ceremonial flag burning ceremony at the convention get rained out or something? Typical liberals, no respect for the flag.

Posted by gophockeymom

Proven wrong again - more smear tactics by the GOPigs

[danstoned]

Posted by blackwater66
Vote McCain in November and keep us safe!

What are you afraid of, coward? Why do you support Israel first over the USA, as do McCain/Palin? Are you also afraid of the dark, as are most Republicon cowards?

[spasss]

Read about the McCain-Palin "Vision" including POW themed "Amusement Camps" for unwanted pro life babies and more by following this link to the "Sarah Palin Admiration Society" parody : http://sarahpalinadmirationsociety.ning.com/

[usclimey]

But they found Boxes and boxes of Documents connecting Bill Ayers to Obama..

Posted by jackDems2

Who are "They?" More unfounded GOPig rumors lies and innuendo.

[pollroller1]

Guys and Gals, how can the Democrats possibly compete with the Republicans Bull Dog with lip stick. LOL

[rudy654-2009]

And without knowing anything about her yet. The population of this country is so f''''ed up... People vote against their own interests.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by mortal3 at 04:53 PM

Then they will deserve the 6 dollar a gallon gas prices that will surely be charged as soon as the election is over. Expect more of the same suffering.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by Robert6781 at 04:58 PM

2 percentage point lead, which is within the margin of error is hardly anything to get excited about especially after the typical boost of a convention. Give it a couple of weeks, if it continues then people really are all about pretty faces and lipstick. If the truth comes out about the pitbull with lipstick and she doesnt look so pretty anymore, you can forget it.

[danstoned]

Posted by SPASSS
Read about the McCain-Palin "Vision" including POW themed "Amusement Camps" for unwanted pro life babies and more by following this link to the "Sarah Palin Admiration Society" parody : http://sarahpalinadmirationsociety.ning.com/

Just a heartbeat and a prayer away from the presidency. What a hoot!

[mandalay-bay]

lotta idiots out there I guess

[popstom1]

Who did''t see this comeing

[mandalay-bay]

Then they will deserve the 6 dollar a gallon gas prices that will surely be charged as soon as the election is over. Expect more of the same suffering.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by rudy654 at 04:59 PM : Sep 08, 2008


Yup sure will!!!! If you''re dumb enough to vote for McBush...then Ill see ya at the gas pump!

[usclimey]

There is only one team that can win this and change America, and redeem our great country with all the respect that it deserves and that is McCain/Palin. The end is near, change only comes with experiance, not empty suited liberals.

Posted by Robert6781

The view from Europe is that even Americans couldn''t be stupid enough to vote for Palin, so somehow I don''t think GOPigs winning will do anything to "redeem our great country with all the respect that it deserves."

[questionnews]

Posted by gophockeymom

Proven wrong again - more smear tactics by the GOPigs

Posted by usclimey at 04:52 PM : Sep 08, 2008

Only newbies & suckers respond to the longtime poser troll: GOPhockey--GOPsoccermom--GOP__Forver etc...
Just throw some *** out there & see who it sticks to. And I''m bummed that it sticks to so many people.

[rudy654-2009]

Don''t forget folks, these polls are extremely limited as they focus mostly on the older generation who still continue with land based phones. They are not getting the whole picture and their margin of error is probably greater than they are revealing it to be when they are limited to strictly land based phones. I live in a rural town and the people are pretty determined that Obama is the winner.

[usclimey]

Posted by Questionnews

I know who gop ......mom is. I just wanted to get ahead of the curve on discounting this latest GOPig lie.

[danstoned]

Robert6781

How bout posting some examples of the change that only a fool would believe in coming from the McCAin/Palin pathogolical liars campaign. Since you can not, may I suggest instead you take off your Southern NeoNazi hat and get out of the way!

[screan_name]

Yes four more years of Bush!


lol!

[questionnews]

Posted by gophockeymom

Proven wrong again - more smear tactics by the GOPigs

Posted by usclimey at 04:52 PM : Sep 08, 2008

Only newbies & suckers respond to the longtime poser troll: GOPhockey--GOPsoccermom--GOP__Forver etc...
Just throw some *** out there & see who it sticks to. And I''m amused that it sticks to so many people.

[usclimey]

Praise to Allah.. Barack Hussein Obama has come out of the closet..

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politic
s/obama/1150540,CST-NWS-faith08.article
n
Allah Akbar

Posted by AmericaBiker

Have you actually read the quote? Only a GOPig troll could figure that for an admission.

[vastr-wcon]

.
The stench of desperation and fear are now starting to permeate the dem campaign as McCain-Palin continue to increase their lead in the polls.

As more and more voters compare the real American candidates with "sweetie" hussein and Plagiarist-Joe, the latter will, like the dem''s previous elitist, pompous gas-bag candidate kerry, just deflate and fade away.

It''s going to be fun watching the antics of the loony-left liberal media trying everything to save their losers. Hopefully, the media will go down with the hussein sinking ship!

/

[misands]

I can''t wait to see a President Palin direct our military and economics. This is turning out to be funnier than anything I could have ever predicted! I just love it when life in better and more unbelievable than a sitcom! Maybe I will bring myself to vote for McCain/Palin because the entertainment value would be priceless. America is already going down the tubes, so why not make this a world that even Monty Python''s Circus couldn''t even have imagined?

[usclimey]

Posted by VastR-WCon

I see a vast number of right-wing eggs in you yard being counted before they hatch. I used to get pissed at your posts, now I just think you''re silly.

[misands]

I forgot to add that I really would love for her to bring her holly-rolling-faith-healing stuff to the White House! That would be even better!!! Imagine her talking to Putin and then breaking out into speaking tounges and lifting her hands to the heavens..hahahahaha....I would love it!!!!!

[whatzaname1969]

Polls of who? People who still have a land line, who don''t avoid talking to telemarketers. Anyone foolish enough to vote for 4 more years of Bush/Cheney/Rove politics deserves what is coming for Americans if we don''t turn this thing around soon. The rest of us...well, if we didn''t stand up against the police state tactics used against journalists and protesters in St Paul, if we let the Big Corporate Billionaires dictate our policies without question, if we allow this to happen without taking a public stand against it...well, I guess we deserve it too.

[danstoned]

Posted by fstop100
African-American for president? All that shows he is 1/2 American 1/2 African....sorry barry I want a real American for president

John McCain born in the country of Panama, raised in the State of Mississippi. Hardly a real American, just plain old Southern White Trash.

[usclimey]

fstop; you''re a racist pig as well as a GOPig.

Gotta go now - see y''all tomorrow.

[questionnews]

Heck, I''''d vote fer a heaven''''s gator instead of another one of them lunatics.

Posted by donnie877 at 05:08 PM : Sep 08, 2008

Well, they did have some fine shoes & those purple jump suits really set them apart from your average cult.
If you wish to support one of them for this election, you will need a feally fast spaceship to catch up with that comet.

[nolalou]

Once again an article that focuses on the national poll numbers, which mean nothing! Presidential elections are determined by electoral votes, so state polls are far more meaningful. (if McCain suddenly gained 10 points in a state like Texas, where he is expected to win anyway, what difference would it make, now if it was in Ohio, it could make a big difference).
The best site that is updated daily showing the electoral vote based on the most recent polls in each state is: http://www.electoral-vote.com/
(it currently shows Obama with 301 electoral votes, McCain with 224 and 13 ties. 270 are required to be elected). like all polls, there is a margin of error of about 3 percent.

[notfooled]

Hard to believe anyone would want more of the spying on Americans, murdering innocents in foreign countries, and the outrageously hypocritical lies of reform spewing forth from McSame''s mouth.

If simply adding a woman already under investigation for fiscal impropriety to the Rethuglican ticket will influence more sheeple into ignoring the last 8 years of lies, deciept, and treachery, then Americans are alot dumber than previously thought.

Just imagine what adding Charles Manson to the ticket would''ve done for McGramps.

[rudy654-2009]

From Gallup:

McCain has led Obama in each of the three individual nights'' data comprising today''s three-day rolling average, but the real question is whether he can sustain the lead as voter excitement around the convention fades. Since 1964, the first election year for which Gallup could reliably measure convention bounces, there have been only two examples in which one candidate consistently trailed until the time of his party''s convention, but took the lead after and never relinquished it. Those occurred in 1988 for the elder George Bush and 1992 for Bill Clinton.

[specialty8]

What are you afraid of coward? If Clinton would have done something when these radicals blew up our embassies,the Cole,the trade center basement,maybe we would not be where we are now.These radicals are afraid of Bush and thats why we have not been hit since. Just give them another week President and see what happens.

[whatzaname1969]

Polls of who? People who still have a land line, who don''t avoid talking to telemarketers. Anyone foolish enough to vote for 4 more years of Bush/Cheney/Rove politics deserves what is coming for Americans if we don''t turn this thing around soon. The rest of us...well, if we didn''t stand up against the police state tactics used against journalists and protesters in St Paul, if we let the Big Corporate Billionaires dictate our policies without question, if we allow this to happen without taking a public stand against it...well, I guess we deserve it too.

[aaabee-2009]

While the GOP was in St. Paul:

On Wednesday eight members of the anarchist protest group the Republican National Convention Welcoming Committee (RNCWC) were charged under provisions of the Minnesota state version of the Patriot Act with %u201CConspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism.%u201D

The eight charged are all young, and could face up to seven-and-a-half years in prison under a provision that allows the enhancement of charges related to terrorism by 50 percent.

Several of those arrested were also members of the student group %u201CFood not Bombs,%u201D and were working in a soup kitchen at the time of their arrest.

[...]

There has also been widespread repression of the media that covered the protests during the RNC. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! was arrested on Monday, after protesting the arrest of several members of her news crew. Also reportedly arrested were Associated Press photographer Matt Rourke, two cameramen of Twin City CBS and NBC affiliates, and several independent videographers. There was also an unverified report that a Fox News crew was gassed.

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/rnc-in-twin-cities-eight-protesters-charged-with-terrorism-under-patriot-act/