(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama is still leading in the 2008 United States presidential race, according to a poll by CBS News. 45 per cent of respondents would vote for the Illinois senator, while 39 per cent would back Republican Arizona senator John McCain.

On Aug. 7, McCain discussed his economic policies, saying, "Raising taxes in a bad economy is about the worst thing you could do because it will kill even more jobs when what we need are policies that create jobs. (...) What we need today is an economic surge. Our surge has succeeded in Iraq militarily. Now we need an economic surge to keep jobs here at home and to create new ones."

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 Barack Obama, the Democrat, and John McCain, the Republican, would you vote for Barack Obama or John McCain?

Source: CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 906 registered American voters, conducted from Jul. 31 to Aug. 5, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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