(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Republican John McCain is ahead of Democrat Barack Obama in the United States, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 49 per cent of respondents would vote for the Arizona senator in this year’s presidential ballot, while 45 per cent would support the Illinois senator.

Support for McCain increased by five points since late June, while backing for Obama fell by the same margin. Six per cent of respondents would vote for other candidates or are undecided.

On Jul. 31, McCain discussed his views on energy, saying, "Nuclear power is safe. There are some veterans (...) who served on ships that had nuclear power plants. We sail them around the world for more than 60 years and we’ve never had an accident. And I can tell you that the French—we always want to imitate the French, right? Eighty per cent of their electricity is generated by nuclear power. And in case you missed it, we now have a pro-American president of France, which shows that if you live long enough, anything can happen in the world and America."

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

Suppose the election were being held today. If Barack Obama were the Democratic Party’s candidate and John McCain were the Republican Party’s candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for: Barack Obama, the Democrat, or John McCain, the Republican? If unsure: As of today, do you lean more toward Obama, the Democrat or McCain, the Republican?

Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 791 likely American voters, conducted from Jul. 25 to Jul. 27, 2008. Margin of error is 4 per cent.

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