The Candidates
McCain up by 10 among likelies:
McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican’s biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points.
In the new poll, taken Friday through Sunday, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44% among those seen as most likely to vote. The survey of 1,022 adults, including 959 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/— 3 points for both samples.
The convention bounce has helped not only McCain but also attitudes toward Republican congressional candidates and the GOP in general.
“The Republicans had a very successful convention and, at least initially, the selection of Sarah Palin has made a big difference,” says political scientist Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia. “He’s in a far better position than his people imagined he would be in at this point.”….
McCain has narrowed Obama’s wide advantage on handling the economy, by far the electorate’s top issue. Before the GOP convention, Obama was favored by 19 points; now he’s favored by 3.
The Republican’s ties to President Bush remains a vulnerability. In the poll, 63% say they are concerned he would pursue policies too similar to those of the current president. Bush’s approval rating is 33%.
The left is going to be unbearable now. Prepare for a total meltdown.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Wow!
September 7th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
So will this poll be released and put up on realclearpolitics and other polling sites? I haven’t seen the poll on any other sites yet but this one?
MCCAIN/PALIN BABY!!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Yes, rcp will put it up I’m sure, it’s on the usa today website already. I hope they use likely voters though! They should. Mccain/Palin+ 10, I like the sound of that.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I would think it would show up on RCP’s average tomorrow.
Interesting figure on the question of who can best deal with the economy. The Dems and their surrogate pundits on cable are poo-poohing the growing McCain bounce because they “didn’t address the economy” at the GOP convention, and yet the American public took away a distinct impression that the GOP did talk about the economy, and are favorable to what they heard.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I can’t wait to start seeing state polls.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I can’t wait to start seeing state polls.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
OH YEAH!!! The question now is…do the attacks on Palin automatically stop? AxelNIMROD may call his surrogates at the KOS and have them pull on the leash of the dogs. I noticed the new question is why isn’t she doing any interviews and Palin answered. Anyone have any guesses as to what the next angle AxelNIMROD will take…other than crying himself to sleep?
September 7th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
OMG!, how wonderful. This certainly has to be an indicator of what is going on in the minds of the voters. Just could the Palin story on FNC, what a woman!
Do these polls take the young crowd and cell phone users into consideration?
September 7th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Free Republic just posted it:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2076976/posts
September 7th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
The Obama campaign isn’t going to touch Palin, but the media is going to get even nastier toward her, if that is possible.
My guess is Obama will just get nastier in his attacks on McCain, comparing him to Bush over and over, what else do they have?
September 7th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
ADVICE TO MCCAIN CAMP: Remind people he is THE ONLY CANDIDATE to have run against Bush (2000). And hit home the issues McCain has differed with Bush. If McCain distances himself from Bush, WE WIN!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Are the media so dumb that they do not realize that part of the bump had to do with the positive opinion the American public had of Sarah and also their anger towards the distortion of her past? Could they be that dumb…let’s hope so. I was just reading on factcheck that although McCain did vote with Bush 90% of the time…Obama voted with the Democratic Senate 97% of the time. Bush has a 33% approval rating and the Congress has a…what, 13%? You’d think Obama wouldn’t want to push the voting percentage question. I do guarantee that Obama is in the process of writing an energy bill that includes drilling.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I dont know if W ever hit 54% in any poll in 2004. I think it might have been 1. Regardless of what happens, for John McCain to be at 54% in any poll on Sept 8th, 2008, is quite frankly amazing beyond belief.
I remember all these Obamabots talking about how Barack hit 50 last week and how the race was over. How McCain is stuck in the low 40s. I wonder if we’ll hear from them now?
Gov Palin will have the right to lifers and evangelicals on board, and every attack on her religion and her church only gains McCain a few thousand more votes. Keep it up MSM.
She will have the NRA and the gun owners on board. Big Time. Especially against two enemies of the 2nd amendment like Obama and Biden. Both lifetime F ratings from the NRA. For those who think that doesnt matter, Bill Clinton has said many times that the NRA beat Al Gore and John Kerry. All you have to do is look at 1996 when Dole got 51% of gun owners, after he stiffed the NRA and told them to pound sand. W has avged about 63% of gun owners in 2000 and 2004 and McCain will do similar. With Palin and against Obama he may actually top those numbers.
He has the base riled up to the point that El Rushbo has dubbed him McBrilliant. I bet not in a million years did anyone think they’d ever hear that.
I know this one poll and all, but still, to see a double digit lead for McCain, wow.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
speaking of Drudge, what is this? “MSNBC TAKES INCENDIARY HOSTS FROM ANCHOR SEAT… DEVELOPING…”
September 7th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Unintentionally revealing new Obama quote - “I hope you guys are up for a fight. I hope you guys are game because I haven’t been putting up with 19 months of airplanes and hotel food and missing my babies and my wife – I didn’t put up for that stuff just to come in second…”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/obama-i-dont-believe-in-coming-in-second/?pagemode=print
September 7th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
With the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debacle…I wouldn’t be surprised if Bush’s approval rating goes up a couple points.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
WOWOWOW!!!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
This is fantastic!!! Yeah, the Maverick knows how to pick the next generation’s Maverick to be his running mate. Take that B O!
I have a question that maybe someone could help me with. Every time I see or write the “ONE” as B O, I have this flash of the comic strip character of “B O Plenty” flash through my mind. I haven’t seen B O Plenty for years and can’t remember what comic strip he was in. Anyone out there know who I’m talking about? ( anyone as old as this baby boomer?)
September 7th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Holy crap.
“MSNBC drops Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from anchor chair… David Gregory will anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night…. Developing…”
LOL!!!!! Finally.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
LOL, Faye - I think it was Dick Tracy. I remember B. O. Plenty, too!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
BTW, what’s the over under on how soon the MSM and the left starts saying that it appears that America is just too racist for Barack to win. That we just havent advanced enough as a society.
That has always been their trump card.
Also, look to start hearing an awful lot about the Keating 5 in the days to come.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
This is great… feels like Christmas!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I’m just nervous because I think McCain does terrible as a front-runner. That said, Obama has yet to recover from a single collapse. After Wright, he failed to win ONE tough state, despite copious spending. He lost neighboring Indiana for goodness sakes. So perhaps he’s as bad at recovering from a deficit as Mac is at holding a lead.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
A great idea to have Palin’s interview towards the end of the week too…maybe we can hold onto the lead for a little while.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Talk about change! Palin has already sent Olby and Chrissy back to the minors. She’s accomplished more change in a few days than Obama has in more than a year.
BTW, you know who is the happiest that KO and Matthews have been sent packing? The PUMAs and the Clintons. They despise them. They despise MSNBC. But even Bill and Hillary couldn’t take them on.
Schmidt needs to put out a stement saying that he’s pleased and that it’s about time after the disgraceful way KO and Matthews treated Hillary. Their demotion is long oast due.
BTW, if McCain brings up that Obama quote about 19 months and hotel food and missing his wife and babies at the 1st debate, and then turns to him and says “Senator, I too know what it’s like to eat hotel food, although it probably wasnt as nice as your. I’d be happy to discuss it with you any time you’d like”, he wins this election with close to 60% of the vote.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I just watched a local Jacksonville news cast, and the anchor asked, “when are you bringing you VP to Jacksonville”?
I would not have Palin all over TV airwaves. Keep it limited to generate excitement.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Amazing !!!!!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
And guys, we haven’t even seen the Michelle Obama “whitey tape” yet. Just wait till that comes out.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
26. . . Not sure I agree. Palin is fantastic on TV, and her interviews up here have always gone pretty well. She surprised the nation last week but Alaskans have seen her speak and she’s always been great. I’d spend a good amount of time prepping her this week and then unleash her on the MSM. She’ll be great, trust me.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Sep 8-9, 2004: Bush 54 - Kerry 38
Sep 13-15, 2004: Bush 54 - Kerry 40
Those were Bush’s two best polls before the election in 2004…
September 7th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
YES!!!
And great news, the idiot from the DAILYKOS has been UNCOVERED!!!
Link: Charles Hartley, Shame on You!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
So McCain has matched Bush’s high #. And that’s with polls showing the GOP base 30% smaller than it was in 2004. Amazing
The left must be on defcon5.
They will start bringing out everything. Keating. Age. Health. His 1st marriage. Dementia. Alzheimers. Was he brainwashed in Vietnam. Did he seel out POWs and leave them behind. Cindy’s drug problem. His temper. Anything and everything. And thats just to start with. Barack and Axelrod and their Chicago smear merchants will be going into overdrive. The orders have gone out. They’re going to the mattresses.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
So McCain has matched Bush’s high #. And that’s with polls showing the GOP base 30% smaller than it was in 2004. Amazing
The left must be on defcon5.
They will start bringing out everything. Keating. Age. Health. His 1st marriage. Dementia. Alzheimers. Was he brainwashed in Vietnam. Did he seel out POWs and leave them behind. Cindy’s drug problem. His temper. Anything and everything. And thats just to start with. Barack and Axelrod and their Chicago smear merchants will be going into overdrive. The orders have gone out. They’re going to the mattresses.
September 7th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Did you guys watch the Fox story? It was really good.
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html
September 7th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
#29 Lucy, thanks. Haven’t seen Dick Tracy’s strip for years.
Yeah, Jim they will try to rehash that old stuff. As far as the claim of “too Racist”, well I think that will backfire on them. Almost no one thinks they are a racist and most of America,in the way they are painting racism, is not and they hate for someone to call them that. That line of talk may play to the white liberal choir but not to the fly over country.
September 7th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
[...] is the full poll that Matthew E. Miller wrote about eariler: USA Today/Gallup General Election Poll, conducted Sept. 5th-7th, [...]
September 7th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
[...] is the full poll that Matthew E. Miller wrote about eariler: USA Today/Gallup General Election Poll, conducted Sept. 5th-7th, [...]