A new poll out Wednesday suggests McCain will be difficult to beat in November. (Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new poll out Wednesday suggests Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, will be a difficult candidate for the eventual Democratic nominee to beat in a general election match up this fall.
According to a just released Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, McCain would be in tight races with either of the remaining Democratic presidential candidates.
McCain is statistically tied with Sen. Barack Obama, 44 percent to 42 percent, and ahead of Sen. Hillary Clinton by 6 points, 46 percent to 40 percent. The poll's margin of error was plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.
The poll also showed McCain with a 61 percent approval rating, a number higher than both Clinton's and Obama's in past polls. (A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll earlier this month measured Clinton's approval rating at 52 percent and Obama's at 58 percent.)
The Arizona senator holds a clear advantage on dealing with the war in Iraq, according to the poll, and holds a 9 point advantage on economic issues over Obama, despite having acknowledged that area is not his expertise. Though the poll finds voters favor Clinton by 10 points over McCain to handle the economy.
The same poll also showed Obama with a 6 point edge over Clinton nationally - a finding that's consistent with several other polls out earlier this week that indicate that the senator from Illinois is the frontrunner in the Democratic race.
– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
From CNN Politics
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hey you can say all ypu want to about McCAIN AND OBAMA being ahead of CLiNTON But she is ten times better for America than OBAMA OR McCAIN if you want for america four more years of the same then dont vote for ( HiLLERY CLiNTON ) 08
Considering the world today, we cannot have a "trainee" in the white house, its either hillary or McCain, Obama would be an excellent Vice President. Go hillary! if not Hillary then McCain.
Ya ya! Some here will be sore losers because their candidate from the Democratic Party side does not get the nomination. You want to vote McCain? Go ahead that is your choice....
At this time Hillary and Barack are still fighting for the nomination while McCain is not fighting with anyone. It is only natural for McCain to seem better. It does not mean McCain is better. Just wait and see….
Any democrat who is voting for Obama or Clinton, I dont see how you can say you would vote for Mcain if either one does not get the nomination. I am for Obama but it is a shame to hear people say that "if Clinton gets the nomination I am voting for Mcain" or the other way around. The main issue is Iraq! Mcain is speaking of "other wars" and 10,000 years in Iraq! How can any sane democrat support this? Do you realize what you are saying? We do not need another 4 or 8 years of this crap! Mcain is an older version of George Bush himself! Talk about Farrackhan supporting Obama.... I think Bush's endorsment of Mcain is even worse.
Every divisive comment on these posts, beginning with the very first one, helps McCain in the general election. Both Clinton and Obama supporters who have become rude in their overzealous support of their candidate need to stop it now or they will be responsible for the 100 years war to come. Don't point fingers. Grow up and get together. For people whose candidates agree on every posistion (their plans are different-positions are not) you sure are disagreeable with eachother. Take responsibilty for your insulting remarks and put a stop to them.
Now this new poll shows that Clinton is the better candidate against McCain. So far CNN poll was shoing Obama was better candidate. I think this new poll is correct. Obama can't stand aginst a white republican moderate candidate like McCain. What Bill Schneider is going to say for this? He keeps supporting Obama and keep blogging about Obama.
Vicky, I didn't hear Michelle Obama's comment. Where can I find that? That woman is a piece of work. I can't believe the media does not go after her as much as they go after any little thing Bill Clinton says.
McCain hard to beat??? How about McCain, hard to stay awake!
How Can you Preface
MCCAIN'S HARD TO BEAT..
and the "polls" show him being beat by Obama??
Fed chief is right now saying he is extremely worried about inflation=bad economy........watch grandpa mc. come out and say the economy is excellent the same way he says that iraq has never been safer as it is now........well, vote for this man and you´ll see what you get.....being a prisoner of war makes him an expert ???
As for all of those low life democrats who WILL VOTE for mc century you are just trash and traitors.
We need change our simple,
We need change our naiive,
We need change our unfaireness,
we need change our untruth
-- Yes , we need change
-- Yes, we can.
Clinton did not land a knock out punch. Obama was more presidential. It's time to rally the throops and end this mess. While I believe their is definately racism and sexism in the back-drop it still remains Clinton was on all level out organized. Let's stop the fighting, unite and take the White House!
Ya think? I have voted Democrat for many years and would never vote for Prince Ditto of Happy Hope-y Land.
It is appalling to me that Obama supporters think we need to be good little Democrats and fall in line behind some bore with no integrity.
No one has been paying attention to how well McCain has consistently done in the polls.
I'm a Democrat.... McCain is nothing like Bush. If you think so, you've been blinded by the 'light.'
Clinton wins the democratic nomination, then McCain is the next President. Obama wins, then he is the next President. There are too many independents like me, as well as many republicans, who will not vote for Hillary, no matter what. I will vote for Obama, however.
Clinton is the right candidate against McCain. There are somany issues with Obama. Farrakhan issue, Middle Name issue, Somalian Dress Issue, Universal healthcare issue, Experience issue, etc.. etc...
To the NNB family. Thanks for nothing!
Its not about the polls, its about the turnout...
...and the way its going doesn't look like McCain will win more than 3 states...
...but a good try CNN.
I'm not voting for McCain. it's either Clinton or nobody
honestly, I do not want in the White House a person such as Obama , someone who we all be afraid to criticize him afraid to be called racists. I want some one who takes responsibility for his decision and I want to feel freee to question a President and not to be afraid to open my mouth. does by I care very much for Hillary Clinton and not for Obama.
It's never going to be easy to beat a war mongering Republican who will tell the uneducated that we are all going to be attacked relentlessly by terrorists if we don't put a "tough" ex-POW in office.
Let's not forget yesterday's poll, however, which has Obama beating McCain by 12 points.
Still, this is more a sign than ever that Hillary MUST GET OUT. She's busy tearing down Obama while McCain is sitting pretty and unscathed.
Of course that's what the "polls" show. How else are you going to believe that the election is not rigged? Did you forget that not too long ago Guilliani was leading the polls?
I also see that the Federal Reserve is now concerned about inflation in addition to the recession. Way to not support the one person willing to actually tackle the issue.
JJ,
>>Mcain is speaking of "other wars" and 10,000 years in Iraq! How can any sane democrat support this?
I am a Democrat, but what McCain is saying is that his policy will be based on what progress he sees or does not see on the ground, as opposed to "immediate withdrawal". I really don't think that's such a winning argument for the Dems in the general election. McCain is going to say George Bush's execution of the war was a disaster but that his surge strategy was a success, and he should be allowed to finish out the war.
-Mike
Oh and to all you Obama supporters who say Dems are wacko for considering switching parties if Hillary's not the nominee... Didn't your beloved First Lady-wannabe make the comment she doesn't even know that she would support the Dem nominee if it's not Barack?? Ha.
more proof that Hilliary is great as a divisive despot, her loyal subjects are running to the other side in order only to hurt her current opponent, a little telling of her "abilities" as a ruler. And you want her to represent our country?
I do not understand the so-called advantage McCain has in discussing the war in Iraq. Just because years ago he was a soldier and prisoner of war??????? So what that does not make him an expert on war anymore than any other soldier or lay person. The war he fought is long over.
What about the economy, what about education, health and the needs of the American people he never discusses anything except the war, which he wants us to remain in for years to come. Not who I want for my President.
Go Obama