Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
- 2008: Race for the White House
- 2008: The U.S. Electoral College
- Abortion
- Africa
- Angela Merkel
- Death Penalty
- Economy and Globalization
- Environment
- European Union
- George W. Bush
- Global Warming
- Gordon Brown
- Hamas
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq War
- Kevin Rudd
- Latin America
- New Zealand Election 2008
- Nicolas Sarkozy
- North Korea
- Oil and Gas
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Silvio Berlusconi
- Stem Cell Research
- Stephen Harper
- Terrorism
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Democrats
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Republicans
- U.S. Election 2008: The Primaries
- Vladimir Putin
- Yasuo Fukuda
Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Obama Surpasses 50% Against McCain in U.S.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama holds the upper hand in a United States presidential contest against Republican John McCain, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 51 per cent of respondents would vote for the Illinois senator this year, while 44 per cent would back the Arizona senator.
Support for Obama increased by two points since mid-April, while backing for McCain remained stable. In a separate match-up, McCain trails New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton by three points.
On May 14, Rodham Clinton called on voters to support a Democrat in the general election, saying, "Anybody who has ever voted for me or voted for Barack has much more in common in terms of what we want to see happen in our country and in the world with the other than they do with John McCain. I’m going to work my heart out for whoever our nominee is—obviously I’m still hoping to be that nominee, but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that anyone who supported me (...) understands what a grave error it would be not to vote for Obama."
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Democratic nominee John Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.
Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The presidential election is scheduled for Nov. 4.
Polling Data
If the 2008 presidential election were being held today and the candidates were John McCain, the Republican, and (...), the Democrat, for whom would you vote?
McCain v. Obama
|
May 11 |
Apr. 13 |
Mar. 2 |
|
|
Barack Obama (D) |
51% |
49% |
53% |
|
John McCain (R) |
44% |
44% |
40% |
|
Other / Neither |
3% |
3% |
2% |
|
Won’t vote |
1% |
3% |
1% |
|
Unsure |
1% |
2% |
3% |
McCain v. Rodham Clinton
|
May 11 |
Apr. 13 |
Mar. 2 |
|
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
49% |
45% |
49% |
|
John McCain (R) |
46% |
48% |
47% |
|
Other / Neither |
2% |
3% |
2% |
|
Won’t vote |
1% |
2% |
1% |
|
Unsure |
1% |
1% |
1% |
Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,122 American adults, conducted from May 8 to May 11, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.