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 Keeps Slight Edge Over Obama in U.S.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Republican John McCain holds a small advantage over Democrat Barack Obama in a prospective 2008 United States presidential contest, according to a poll by Zogby International released by Reuters. 45 per cent of respondents would vote for the Arizona senator, while 43 per cent would back the Illinois senator.
Support for McCain in this match-up increased by two points since December, while backing for Obama fell by four points. In another match-up, McCain holds a five-point lead over New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Three other Republican contenders trail the two Democratic frontrunners. Both Obama and Rodham Clinton lead former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney by at least 10 points, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee by at least five points, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani by at least 11 points.
On Jan. 20, former North Carolina senator John Edwards—who is seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination—discussed McCain’s campaign, saying, "He is starting to look like the Republican nominee, and I think it’s important for us to have somebody to run against McCain who can beat him. (...) This is a guy who’s made central to his political life campaign finance reform. It seems to me we ought to be putting somebody up against him who’s never taken money from special interest PACs or Washington lobbyists. Between the three of us, that’s me."
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
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
Jul. 2007 |
|
|
John McCain (R) |
45% |
43% |
42% |
|
Barack Obama (D) |
43% |
47% |
45% |
McCain v. Rodham Clinton
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
Jul. 2007 |
|
|
John McCain (R) |
47% |
49% |
43% |
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
42% |
42% |
45% |
Romney v. Obama
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
Jul. 2007 |
|
|
Barack Obama (D) |
53% |
53% |
49% |
|
Mitt Romney (R) |
34% |
35% |
35% |
Romney v. Rodham Clinton
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
Jul. 2007 |
|
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
47% |
46% |
48% |
|
Mitt Romney (R) |
37% |
44% |
38% |
Huckabee v. Obama
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
|
|
Barack Obama (D) |
51% |
47% |
|
Mike Huckabee (R) |
36% |
42% |
Huckabee v. Rodham Clinton
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
|
|
Mike Huckabee (R) |
47% |
48% |
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
38% |
43% |
Giuliani v. Obama
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
Jul. 2007 |
|
|
Barack Obama (D) |
51% |
48% |
46% |
|
Rudy Giuliani (R) |
34% |
39% |
42% |
Giuliani v. Rodham Clinton
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
Jul. 2007 |
|
|
Rudy Giuliani (R) |
46% |
46% |
41% |
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
35% |
42% |
46% |
Source: Zogby International / Reuters
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,006 likely American voters, conducted on Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, 2008. Margin of error is 3.2 per cent.