Obama's lead widens in Pew

The poll shows McCain's support tanking, early voters favoring Obama.

Published October 28, 2008 3:26PM (EDT)

Barack Obama is holding steady, staying just above the 50 percent majority threshold, in the latest Pew poll -- but John McCain continues to slide:

Barack Obama leads John McCain by a 52% to 36% margin in Pew’s latest nationwide survey of 1,325 registered voters. This is the fourth consecutive survey that has found support for the Republican candidate edging down. In contrast, since early October weekly Pew surveys have shown about the same number of respondents saying they back Obama. When the sample is narrowed to those most likely to vote, Obama leads by 53% to 38%.

Pew also reports that Obama is leading by 19 percent among those 15 percent of voters who cast their votes early. The other good news for Obama is the enthusiasm gap: 74 percent of Obama's voters are strongly supportive, compared with just 56 percent of McCain's.


By Thomas Schaller

Thomas F. Schaller is professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the author of "Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South." Follow him @schaller67.

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