Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
- 2008: Race for the White House
- Abortion
- Africa
- Angela Merkel
- Death Penalty
- Economy and Globalization
- Environment
- European Union
- George W. Bush
- Global Warming
- Gordon Brown
- Hamas
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq War
- Italy Election 2008
- Kevin Rudd
- Latin America
- Nicolas Sarkozy
- North Korea
- Oil and Gas
- Same-Sex Marriage
- 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
Tight Presidential Race Continues in U.S.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama is virtually tied with Republican John McCain, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 46 per cent of respondents would back the Illinois senator in this year’s United States presidential election, while 45 per cent would vote for the Arizona senator.
Support for McCain fell by one point since late April, while backing for Obama increased by the same margin. In a separate match-up, McCain is also almost even with New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
On May 6, McCain criticized Obama’s decision to vote against the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito, saying, "Apparently, nobody quite fits the bill except for an elite group of activist judges, lawyers, and law professors who think they know wisdom when they see it—and they see it only in each other."
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
|
|
May 6 |
Apr. 24 |
Apr. 10 |
|
Barack Obama (D) |
46% |
45% |
46% |
|
John McCain (R) |
45% |
46% |
43% |
|
Other |
1% |
1% |
1% |
|
Neither |
5% |
5% |
5% |
|
Not sure |
4% |
4% |
5% |
McCain v. Rodham Clinton
|
May 6 |
Apr. 24 |
Apr. 10 |
|
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) |
46% |
47% |
46% |
|
John McCain (R) |
45% |
45% |
45% |
|
Other |
1% |
1% |
1% |
|
Neither |
4% |
4% |
5% |
|
Not sure |
3% |
3% |
5% |
Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 4,393 registered American voters, conducted from May 2 to May 6, 2008. Margin of error is 2 per cent.