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
Obama Overtakes McCain in U.S. Race
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama holds the upper hand in a United States presidential contest against Republican John McCain, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 50 per cent of respondents would vote for the Illinois senator, while 46 per cent would support the Arizona senator.
In a separate match-up, 49 per cent of respondents would support McCain, while 48 per cent would back New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Yesterday, McCain criticized Obama, saying, "I respect him and the campaign he has run. But there is going to be time when we have to get into specifics, and I have heard not every speech he has given obviously, but they are singularly lacking in specifics, and that’s when as the campaign moves forward, we will be portraying very stark differences. (...) It’s not an accident that he has, according to the National Journal, the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate. I have on one of most conservative."
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
Possible match-ups - 2008 U.S. presidential election
McCain v. Obama
|
Feb. 2008 |
Jan. 2008 |
Nov. 2007 |
|
|
Barack Obama (D) |
50% |
44% |
47% |
|
John McCain (R) |
46% |
50% |
44% |
|
Other |
-- |
1% |
-- |
|
Neither |
2% |
2% |
6% |
|
Not sure |
1% |
2% |
4% |
McCain v. Rodham Clinton
|
Feb. 2008 |
Jan. 2008 |
Nov. 2007 |
|
|
John McCain (R) |
49% |
50% |
44% |
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
48% |
47% |
50% |
|
Other |
1% |
1% |
-- |
|
Neither |
2% |
2% |
3% |
|
Not sure |
1% |
1% |
2% |
Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 706 likely American voters, conducted from Feb. 8 to Feb. 10, 2008. Margin of error is 4 per cent.