(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for Democrat Barack Obama has slightly eroded over the course of the past three months in the United States, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 46 per cent of respondents would vote for the Illinois senator in this year’s presidential election, while 43 per cent would support Republican Arizona senator John McCain.

Support for Obama fell by two points since late June, while backing for McCain increased by three points.

On Aug. 14, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee—who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination this year—expressed dissatisfaction with the prospect of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney becoming McCain’s running mate, saying, "I think the issue is that, you know, in many ways, Mitt Romney has had very definite swings of position, not just on one or two things, but on many of the issues. (...) I’m going to support our nominee. And I’m more interested in who the president is than who the vice-president is, anyway."

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

Now, suppose the 2008 presidential election were being held today. If you had to choose between (...) and (...), who would you vote for?

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,414 American adults, conducted from Jul. 31 to Aug. 10, 2008. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.

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