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 Trails Obama by Seven Points in U.S.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama remains ahead of Republican John McCain in the United States, according to a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 47 per cent of respondents would support the Illinois senator in this year’s presidential election, while 40 per cent would vote for the Arizona senator.
Support for Obama increased by four points since October, while backing for McCain fell by three points. In a separate match-up, McCain trails New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton by five points.
Yesterday, Obama defended his foreign policy views, saying, "I have been adamant about not negotiating with Hamas, a terrorist organization that has vowed to destroy Israel and won’t recognize them. (...) (McCain) still hasn’t spelled out one substantial way in which he would be different from George Bush when it comes to foreign policy."
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
McCain v. Obama
|
May 2008 |
Oct. 2007 |
Aug. 2007 |
|
|
Barack Obama (D) |
47% |
43% |
43% |
|
John McCain (R) |
40% |
43% |
39% |
|
Other |
2% |
3% |
3% |
|
Won’t vote |
4% |
3% |
4% |
|
Unsure |
8% |
8% |
11% |
If the 2008 election for president were being held today, and the candidates were (...) the Democrat and John McCain the Republican, for whom would you vote?
McCain v. Rodham Clinton
|
May 2008 |
Oct. 2007 |
Aug. 2007 |
|
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
46% |
44% |
47% |
|
John McCain (R) |
41% |
44% |
41% |
|
Other |
2% |
2% |
3% |
|
Won’t vote |
4% |
3% |
3% |
|
Unsure |
7% |
6% |
6% |
Source: Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,745 registered American voters, conducted from May 8 to May 12, 2008. Margin of error is 2.4 per cent.