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
McCain Ahead of Two Rivals in U.S. Race
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Republican John McCain holds the upper hand in contests against his Democratic rivals in the United States, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 47 per cent of respondents would back the Arizona senator in this year’s presidential election, while 44 per cent would vote for Illinois senator Barack Obama.
In a separate contest, McCain holds a six-point lead over New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
On Apr. 12, Obama discussed his views on the current state of mind of U.S. voters, saying, "What is absolutely true is that people don’t feel like they’re being listened to. So they pray and they count on each other and they count on their families. You know this in your own lives. And what we need is a federal government that is actually paying attention. A government that is fighting for working people day in and day out making sure that we are trying to allow them to live out the American dream and that’s what this campaign is about."
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
Possible match-ups - 2008 U.S. presidential election
McCain v. Obama
|
Apr. 10 |
Mar. 24 |
Mar. 10 |
|
|
John McCain (R) |
47% |
50% |
41% |
|
Barack Obama (D) |
44% |
41% |
44% |
|
Other / Undecided |
9% |
9% |
15% |
McCain v. Rodham Clinton
|
Apr. 10 |
Mar. 24 |
Mar. 10 |
|
|
John McCain (R) |
48% |
49% |
46% |
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
42% |
42% |
43% |
|
Other / Undecided |
10% |
9% |
11% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,600 likely American voters, conducted from Apr. 6 to Apr. 10, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.