(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama maintains the upper hand in the 2008 United States presidential race, according to a poll by Harris Interactive. 47 per cent of respondents would support the Illinois senator in this year’s election, while 38 per cent would back Republican Arizona senator John McCain.

Independent candidate Ralph Nader is third with three per cent, followed by Libertarian nominee Bob Barr also with three per cent. Three per cent of respondents would vote for other contenders, and seven per cent are undecided.

On Aug. 11, McCain discussed foreign policy, saying, "World history is often made in remote obscure countries. It is being made in Georgia today. It’s the responsibility of the leading nations of the world to ensure history continues to be a record of humanity’s progress toward respecting the values and security of free people."

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

We’d like to get your opinion about how you might vote in the election for president on November 4th, 2008. If the presidential election were held today, for whom would you most likely vote? (...) Well, if you had to say, toward whom would you lean for president?

Source: Harris Interactive
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,834 American adults, conducted from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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