(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama is ahead of Republican John McCain in the United States, according to a poll by Harris Interactive. 39 per cent of respondents would vote for the Illinois senator in the 2008 presidential election, while 33 per cent would back the Arizona senator.

In addition, 17 per cent of respondents say they will not vote for either candidate, and 12 per cent are undecided.

In a separate contest, New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton leads McCain by four points.

On Apr. 3, McCain criticized Obama’s views on the Iraq war, saying, "I think somebody ought to ask what in the world he’s talking about, especially since he has no experience or background at all in national security affairs."

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 national election for the president of the United States were to be held today, for whom would you vote for?

McCain vs. Obama

McCain vs. Rodham Clinton

Source: Harris Interactive
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,549 American adults, conducted on Mar. 14 to Mar. 24, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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