Poll: Uncommitted Voters Move To McCain

CBS News Poll Finds That Voters Who Were Unsure Last Month Are More Likely To Have Settled On Republican Ticket

(CBS)  About a third of the voters who were uncommitted to either Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama or Republican rival Sen. John McCain one month ago have now made up their minds, and more have settled on the Republican ticket than the Democratic one, a new CBS News poll finds.

For the new poll, CBS News re-interviewed voters who said they were uncommitted in a CBS News/New York Times poll conducted in mid-August. While nearly two in three still have not settled on a candidate, 20 percent of these previously uncommitted voters have now decided to back McCain, while 14 percent have settled on Obama.

In the August poll, uncommitted voters made up 34 percent of all registered voters. Voters were considered uncommitted if they indicated they preferred a candidate but had not settled with certainty on that candidate, or if they were completely undecided.

Read The Complete Poll

Among previously uncommitted voters who have decided to back a candidate, Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin has been well received: 52 percent have a favorable feeling towards her, while just 18 percent view her unfavorably. Obama running mate Sen. Joe Biden is less well known: 54 percent say they don't know enough about him to have an opinion.

When asked directly what helped them to choose a candidate, 28 percent of these previously uncommitted voters volunteered Sarah Palin, making her the top reason. Sixteen percent volunteered the speeches at the conventions.

Previously uncommitted voters have been paying more attention to the campaign. Thirty-nine percent of all previously uncommitted voters say they have paid a lot of attention in the last few weeks, and 46 percent have paid at least some attention. When they were originally interviewed in August, just 21 percent of these same voters said they had been paying a lot of attention to the campaign in recent weeks.

Despite McCain's lead among previously uncommitted voters who have made up their mind, McCain and Obama are running about even when voters who are not yet certain are included. Forty percent of previously uncommitted voters say they support Obama, though more than half have not made a firm commitment to the Democratic nominee; 39 percent say they support McCain.

Among voters who were completely undecided in August there has been more movement towards McCain than Obama. Thirty-one percent of formerly undecided voters have moved towards the Arizona senator, while 23 percent have moved towards his Democratic rival. Forty-five percent remain completely undecided.

At least some of McCain's newfound support appears to be coming from the Republican base. Though McCain has traditionally struggled to win over the group, his selection of Palin has energized socially conservative voters. Eighty-one percent of voters who have moved towards McCain say vice presidential choices will be influential in their vote. And half of the voters who have moved towards McCain expect him to adopt more conservative policies than President George W. Bush.

Previously uncommitted voters who have made up their minds are far more likely to say Biden is prepared to be vice president (71 percent say that he is) than to say the same of Palin (just 47 percent say yes.) But Palin is far more relatable to these voters, with 71 percent saying they can relate to the Alaska governor compared to 36 percent for Biden.

Voters who remain uncommitted to either candidate are slightly more likely to be female than male. Forty-six percent describe themselves as independents, and 48 percent say they are moderates. More than half are 45 years old or older.

The perception of the candidates amongst these voters mirrors perceptions amongst the greater electorate. Obama is seen as more relatable than McCain: 72 percent of still-uncommitted voters relate to the Democratic nominee, while just 38 percent relate to his rival. But McCain is more widely seen as prepared for the presidency, with 82 percent saying the Arizona senator is ready for the job. (Just 31 percent say the same of Obama.) McCain is also more widely seen as likely to be an effective commander in chief.

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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, including 208 uncommitted voters. 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.

[pensacola98]

If Sarah Palin was a great choice for John McCain, then why does he run those sleazy commercials against Obama? It seems to me like McCain doesn''''t have as much faith in his VP''''s choice to help his campaign.

That fading star rhetoric in the commercials seems to belong to Palin, not Obama.

Obama expects trash to come from those taking the low road, but he didn''''t think John McCain walked there...and now, Obama concedes that John McCain does indeed take the low road and dispense garbage to the broadcasters....is that what John McCain''''s education and experience is good for? I had a POW for a neighbor, and he told me those from the low road always try to toss their trash to the high road, but it always falls back to low road....the laws of honor and gravity are alike and serve those who know which way is up. Barack Obama always knows which way is up. John McCain clearly is floundering in the political storm he created for himself.

[roc2341]

Message to Hillary Supporters:

Should McCain/Palin win, then all of you who supported/voted for them as a sort of revenge, retaliation and pride against Obama can blame yourself when they put new Justices on the Supreme Court and "repeal" Roe v. Wade, thereby, if your 17 yr.daughter and/or grand-daughter, for whatever possible reason, upon re-entering America from Mexico, or Canada (if they wasn''t butchered by a second rate doctor)they are arrested and tried for murder because the rights over their body belongs to the Neo-conservative Prez/Vice Prez you helped elect due to your revengeful/ retaliatory pride. Or they may be "lucky" and get a job at a big oil company/sell the bodies,souls, and respect. Either way, YOU''LL be able to go to your resting place with the knowledge that you got your payback on Barack Obama. Sleep well!

[polpot4]

To all cowardly liberals,

You are pathetic....and weak.
And you have destroyed the democratic party.

The people are not stupid.....even though Osama says otherwise. Whenever you ********** use sexist and
age-ist rhetoric (YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE LIBERALS) you completly turn off centrist/indepenents because of your double standard.
Get a clue ....losers !!

[polpot4]

To Amenhotep

You are angry because your liberal POLLS are adding up agaisnt your weak candidate.
How dare you say that the "corporations" own the polls...you are truly not in touch with reality if you think the media and the POLLS are controlled by anyone other than the liberal ********** of the elite media sect.

Face it, you will be THRICE a loser come november.
Get used to it.......and stop panicking, the world is not coming to an end no matter who gets elected. ...you **********

[heartwords]

I saw a little blue bird sitting in a great oak tree singing a song of freedom. Then came a hunter with his sling shot loaded and ready to fire.

Will he choose to take the life of this sweet bird. Or let the bird live to continue singing the song of freedom.

FREEDOM.. UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL.. NATIONS ARE WATCHING!!!

CHOOSE WISELY..

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...

Sarah are you & Senator McCain really going to shake up Washington??

Will you do something about the due nothing Washington crowd??

Will you clean up the messes and stand for what is right??

If you really can... WE THE PEOPLE of this Great Country will STAND with you.

We''''''''re ready for a real CHANGE.

Are you & Senator McCain ready to make the changes???

SARAH.. be our voice.. be strong & courageous.

[element51]

Congratulations to President Palin and Vice President McCain. Thanks to the intelligence of the American people you have managed to overcome the lying democrats and send them packing. Now maybe we can get down to the business of completing the destruction of the middle class and get the country back into the hands of the wealthy elite who know what is best for all of us. We are just a heartbeat away from putting the up-start peons back where they belong. It has taken us a little over 30 years but we knew all along that we would prevail. Now, finally, God''s will be done. Hail Bush, Hail Cheney, Hail Rove!

[noloyalisti]

As Obama said yesterday: ENOUGH. Enough of the white trash Rovian slime politics. I just hope the lies and smears being used by McSame and Failin'''' backfire.

Just to help, please spread this far and wide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH
0xzsogzAk

[random_radar]

"... and by-the-way,

Sarah P. is NO Hillary C.!

Posted by forever1973 at 11:48 AM : Sep 11, 2008"

That''s why Sarah Palin will be the first woman president after the aging McCain dies in office.

[chalres-2009]

I wonder if leaving this nonsense article up for three days is swaying more mindless undecided''s to vote for McShame?

[markangeloo]

Slovakia Routs Bulgaria 82-0 in Women''''s Hockey


Sep 9, 7:28 PM (ET)

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) -With more goals than minutes in the game, Slovakia''''s women''''s ice hockey team claimed an amazing 82-0 victory over Bulgaria in Olympic qualifying.

Slovakia outshot the Bulgarians 139-0 during the 60-minute game, played in Latvia. The margin of victory is a record for a women''''s International Ice Hockey Federation-sanctioned event.

"We took it as training," Slovakia coach Miroslav Karafiat said after Saturday''''s game.

Janka Culikova led Slovakia with 10 goals, while Martina Velickova scored nine. Fourteen different players scored at least one goal.

Slovakia, which also beat Croatia, Latvia and Italy, advanced to another qualifying group with Germany, Kazakhstan and France. The winner will secure a spot at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Bulgaria was eliminated after scoring one goal and giving up conceding 192 in the tournament.

The Slovakian men''''s team clinched its biggest ever victory against the Bulgarians 14 years ago when they won 20-0.

[forever1973]

... and by-the-way,

Sarah P. is NO Hillary C.!

[forever1973]

How insulting to women. LIBS just don''''t think women are capable individuals. Sad really that an entire political party STILL denegrates women.


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Posted by pmsnbc1 at 09:45 AM : Sep 11, 2008


Do you think this person is necessarily a democrat?

The Republicans will do ANYTHING to win.

[mabourn]

What do all of these statements have in common?? They were all posted today Sept. 11 in response to various articles on CBS. What does it say about us as Americans if people have nothing better to do than post this stuff on a day when the country is remembering the thousands that died on 911. Spirited debate is one thing... but this is just embarrassing. You should all be ashamed.

-We call Palin Trailer Trash, because, well, she is....
-TundraBilly Barbie/McWho? 08! All the JaysusBillies are praying for McWho? to die now?
-If I were a Messiah Barbie/McWho? partisan, I ''''d be worried that the End Times were coming and that I had my Left Behind Books with me
-Obama is the disgraceful Pig... with Lipstick on the Bu-tt
-The lipsticked pig has gone back to her home wallow. I hear they have nice mud in Alaska.....
-Here''''s the sound coming from Alaska today..."Oink, Oink."
-Palin: Lipstick on a fascist.
-Obama is lucky that he is supported by Many Self-Hating & Low Self-esteem White Liberals... and Blacks who thought Obama was "really" a Black.
-Getting a religious extremist on the ticket was just what the doctor ordered. Hopefully she gets her orders from a different God than W.
-The rotten hypocrite *** and her sidekick McBush will be exposed soon enough for their lies.

[tonyd_31]

GOOGLE THIS, AND EDUCATE YOURSELF
Public Allies Obama

Posted by jackDems2

You are the one who was spreading that lie yesterday about Obama calling Palin a pig. Now that the media has rebuked that claim resoundly, do you feel just a little bit silly taking Rush''s lies for truth? Perhaps you may want to "educate yourself" now. No need to answer as I know you probably thinks he was calling her a pig even though it has been widely accepted that it was not the case. Perhaps you might believe Bill O''Reilly who said that he wasn''t. Folks, please stop being so gullible as it is disappointing to think our electorate is so uninformed.

[tawpdawg111]

Poll: Uncommitted Voters Move To McCain
CBS News Poll Finds That Voters Who Were Unsure Last Month Are More Likely To Have Settled On Republican Ticket
=========================

Getting a religious extremist on the ticket was just what the doctor ordered. Hopefully she gets her orders from a different God than W.

[tonyd_31]

I have to say this: American people, I think (and hope) that you are smarter than what has been demonstrated so far. There is now way in this life time that I would consider voting for McCain and Palin. Not that I think they are bad people but they refuse to discuss any issues that are important. They have told obvious lies about the other side (yesterday the Lipstick issue was a prime example). They are hiding the lady, who could potentially be one heartbeat away from the presidency, and they are hiding her from the press. That in itself should be an outrage. They are so transparent that I am at a loss why anyone with common sense cannot see that. I think Obama and Biden will prevail but the truth is that it should not even be a close election.

[pmsnbc1]

Palin reminds me of some wacko hairdresser that won''''t shut up..or a grocery checkout clerk...and that semi cannuck accent sort of sounds like Fran Dresser from the Nanny tv show....I''''m getting real tired of that!


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Posted by sleepyric at 07:35 AM : Sep 11, 2008




How insulting to women. LIBS just don''t think women are capable individuals. Sad really that an entire political party STILL denegrates women.

[rthettler]

For others who are not committed--please review Rev Manning''s observations of Obama on YouTube. It''s hard to argue with Manning''s statements.

[mydiatribe]

Significant here is that Obama is LOSING.
It''s not so much that Mc Cain is winning. I believe voters are getting to know Obama more and more as we close in on election day. These uncommitted voters are growing suspicious of what they DO NOT SEE.

[carlylaine]

Insurgeon1: Can we stop wars? No...sometimes life dictates actions that we don''t like. McCain doesn''t like war...but after diplomatic solutions are spent sometimes there are no choices left and the only option is war. Human beings will be fighting til the end of time. If you believe that with your nasty comments can bring us love then YOU ARE MISTAKEN. Love doesn''t make the world go ''round. We are all in a fight for our lives as human beings...No, we don''t learn as well as we should...but sometimes war is what we have to do...we must try to avoid war...CAN''T ALWAYS.