Poll: Obama Retakes Lead Over McCain

CBS News/New York Times Poll Shows Obama With 5 Point Advantage, Voters Concern Over Palin

(CBS)  In a sign that John McCain's convention bounce has dissipated, Barack Obama has taken a 48 percent to 43 percent lead over his Republican rival among registered voters in the latest CBS News/New York Times poll.

McCain had a two percentage point lead among registered voters in a CBS News poll released on September 8th, just after the Republican National Convention. Prior to the party conventions, Obama led McCain by 3 points.

In the new poll, the gap among likely voters is the same as it is among registered voters: Obama leads among those seen as likely to go to the polls in November 49 percent to 44 percent.

This race remains up for grabs. One-fourth of the electorate is now uncommitted, meaning they say they could still change their minds about their candidate or remain undecided entirely. Roughly twenty percent of both McCain and Obama supporters say they have not yet settled definitively on their chosen candidate.

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Read The Complete Poll:
The Presidential Race
The Candidates For Vice President
The Economy, Iraq And The Campaign

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Though McCain's supporters have become more enthusiastic about the Republican nominee, he still suffers from an enthusiasm gap. Sixty-one percent of Obama supporters are enthusiastic about their candidate, up eight points from last week's poll; forty-seven percent say the same of McCain, up five points from last week.

Obama's advantage can be traced in part to independents, who favored Obama in late August, swung to McCain just after the Republican convention, and have now returned to Obama. Obama now leads McCain among independents 46 percent to 41 percent.

Obama now also leads McCain among women, a group that favored McCain by five points in polling taken just after the Republican convention, where Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin became the second woman ever to be nominated to a major party ticket.

Obama leads McCain 54 percent to 38 percent among all women. He holds a two point edge among white women, a 21 percentage point swing in Obama's direction from one week ago.

The Candidates For Vice President:

While Palin remains popular among McCain voters, the poll suggests that the McCain campaign may have cause for concern. More than half of registered voters do not think Palin is prepared for the job of Vice President, and even McCain supporters cite “inexperience” as what they like least about her.

Just 17 percent of registered voters say McCain chose Palin because she is well qualified for the job of Vice President. Seventy-five percent say McCain made the choice to help win the election. (Even voters backing the Republican ticket share this view: 53 percent say the Palin choice was to help McCain win in November.)

Contrast that with the perception of Obama's selection of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as running mate: 57 percent of registered voters say Obama chose Biden because he is well qualified. Thirty-one percent say the choice was to help with the election.

Nonetheless, McCain supporters are far more enthusiastic about Palin than Obama supporters are about Biden. Sixty-nine percent of McCain voters - including 78 percent of white evangelical McCain backers - describe themselves as "enthusiastic" about Palin. Just 27 percent of Obama supporters are "enthusiastic" about Biden, though an additional 58 percent say they are "satisfied" with the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Palin’s favorable rating stands at 40 percent, down 4 points from last week. Her unfavorable rating, which stands at 30 percent, has risen eight points in the same time period. Her favorable rating among women has fallen 11 points in the past week.

Biden is viewed favorably by 38 percent of registered voters. Seventeen percent view the Delaware senator unfavorably, a decrease of 5 points from last week.

Nearly 3 in 4 voters say Biden is prepared to be vice president; just 42 percent say Palin is prepared for the job, down 5 points from last week. But Palin is seen as the more relatable of the two: 55 percent of registered voters say she is someone they can relate to, while 43 percent say the same of Biden.

Asked what they like most about Biden, registered voters cited experience (15 percent), followed by "honesty" (6 percent), "outspoken" and "foreign policy" (5 points each). Asked the same question about Palin, the top two choices were "outspoken" and "woman" (7 percent each), followed by "fresh face" and "tough/fighter" (5 points each).

Asked what they liked least about the candidates, the top response for Biden, at 8 percent, was "too many gaffes." The top response for Palin, at 15 percent, was inexperience.

Voters who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries are not fully embracing the new woman in the race. Forty-eight percent of Clinton voters say they have an unfavorable view of Palin, while 20 percent view her positively.

Still, one in four registered voters who were Clinton supporters in the primary say they plan to support the McCain-Palin ticket in November.

[decomo]

Either man would be a good president. I am more concerned now with the recovery of the economy and how many of the big companies are going to make more layoff rounds. In the mean time, I am doing my share to help consumers who are unemployed or who don't have insurance to save at the pharmacies. Check out the consumer service site http://www.drugzoo.com where free drug coupons are available to everyone without having to do any registration whatsoever. Just get the drug coupon you need, print and the use it at your neighborhood pharmacy to reduce your drug costs.

[s416]

QUESTION POSED TO BOTH POTENTIAL VPs-DO YOU BELIEVE AS *** CHENEY DOES,THAT THE VP OFFICE IS NOT PART OF EITHER THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH,NOR THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT?Bidens answer-Of course not-thats ridiculous,the Vice Presidency has been part of thr executive branch of government for over 200 years,and its absurd that Cheney got all these lawyers,and acted like this history was wrong-Palin''s response was-NO COMMENT!!!!! Unfrickin believable

[allmymarbles]

I think as more and more time goes by, Palin will be seen as the political ploy that she is. She is ignorant, badly educated and has little experience. It is embarrassing that someone like that would be chosen to run for high office. Whether or not you liked Hillary Clinton, she had the qualifications. Palin was chosen to appeal to women. As such it is an insult.

[s416]

AMERICAN TROOPS OVERSEAS AND STATESIDE OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA -LEADING TO CLOSE POLLS IN VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA- VIETNAM VETERANS DECIDELY FOR BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA-RASCISTS LIKE GAY AMERICAN BIKER JERK AND KKK VOTE MCCAIN AND SPEW IGNORANCE AND HATRED FOR AMERICA

[dbaker13-2009]

with obama and pelosi and her cronies,i guess we wont have our own oil.lets see,higher payroll taxes and higher ss taxes.lets see what else we can come up with on these left wing loons!

[amrt5016]

Guess what, one of the grand Republican ideas of government is under siege. With crisis brought on by the continuing collapse of credit, investment and insurance companies, deregulation of markets and business practices is taking a big hit. Hopefully, we''ll all learn from this painful lesson, that government has a place after all to referee markets and reduce opportunities for fraud, that real wealth is being created instead of being moved around to benefit a few.

[amercanbiker]

Gayy bikers for McCain!

[blindhowlin]

You know, if we had listened to Bush/McSame and privatized social security, it would have lost 25% of it''s value over night! Any seniors out there who can stand a 25% reduction in you SSI?

[timkarsno]

I am not voting for someone so does not even uses his real name and hides it from the American people Barrack Obama "Hussien".

After what has happen to our country on 9/11 my country comes first. I am not against muslims but ... my country comes first and this guy is hiding his name from the American Public which is not right.

I do not know enough of Obama as I do with Mccain and even Mccain we all know was born in a American Naval Base.

I think we american''s have a right to see front page on every newspaper in America Barrack Obama''s Hussein Birth certificate and where he was born and where it was issued vetted by the CIA/FBI/NSA/ISD any security goverment body to verify it is legit and American.

Afterall we are the ones who are going to vote for the next president of this country and we should know all we can in depth of that person.

For as long as I don''t see the real facts in writing about this democrate we have to choose..... I''m switching sides to Mccain/Palin ''08 has my vote!

America security is one of the greatest things that the next commander in chief has on his rims and I am not about to vote for someone who says he is just a United States Citizen.

[whatithink1]

If the bailout works, we''ll have HYPERINFLATION.
If the bailout doesn''t work, we''ll have HYPERDEFLATION.

You''d better get ready, either option is not so good.