The latest Zogby poll reflects the findings of the LA Times/Bloomberg poll, showing that support for Obama has deflated over the summer. Obama led McCain 47%-40% in July, but now trails his opponent 46%-41%, a fifteen point drop:
In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
McCain leads Obama among likely U.S. voters by 46 percent to 41 percent, wiping out Obama's solid 7-point advantage in July and taking his first lead in the monthly Reuters/Zogby poll.
The reversal follows a month of attacks by McCain, who has questioned Obama's experience, criticized his opposition to most new offshore oil drilling and mocked his overseas trip.
The poll was taken Thursday through Saturday as Obama wrapped up a weeklong vacation in Hawaii that ceded the political spotlight to McCain, who seized on Russia's invasion of Georgia to emphasize his foreign policy views.
"There is no doubt the campaign to discredit Obama is paying off for McCain right now," pollster John Zogby said. "This is a significant ebb for Obama."
McCain now has a 9-point edge, 49 percent to 40 percent, over Obama on the critical question of who would be the best manager of the economy -- an issue nearly half of voters said was their top concern in the November 4 presidential election.
That margin reversed Obama's 4-point edge last month on the economy over McCain, an Arizona senator and former Vietnam prisoner of war who has admitted a lack of economic expertise and shows far greater interest in foreign and military policy.
I should warn that Zogby should be viewed with skepticism. Zogby hasn't gained a reputation of being spot-on in its polling, and their results usually tend to be dramatic. However, Zogby is showing the same change in the electorate's support for Obama that other pollsters are showing. It should also be noted that this poll sampled likely voters, while the LAT/Bloomberg poll surveyed registered voters. That may account for the dramatic difference between the two.
Nevertheless, the trend continues: Obama's support continues to ebb, putting the Democrats are in a rather weak position leading up to the convention.
Recent Comments