July 24th, 2008
10:02 AM ET
10 years ago
Poll of polls update: Obama ahead by four
(CNN) — Barack Obama holds a 4-point lead over John McCain in the latest CNN poll of polls.
The new average of the three most recent national surveys of registered voters shows the Illinois senator at 47 percent with McCain standing at 43 percent. About 10 percent say they are undecided.
The margin between the two presidential candidates has narrowed slightly over the past week: in a CNN poll of polls taken July 16, Obama and McCain were separated by 6 points.
Election Center: Check out the poll of polls trend
The latest poll of polls includes recent surveys from Gallup, NBC/Wall Street Journal, and ABC/Washington Post.
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Let's be honest with these polls. Most other polls have Obama up nationally 6-7 percent easily and that is only out of all the people that can be surveyed.
Not cell phone users land line users.
So co-incidence? If CNN reports that Obama is breaking away probably up by 10 percent at least who would watch the politics news?
Go to realclearpolitics.com and you'll see they report every single poll that comes out. Whether it be Dems Repub or news outlets. Then you will get a better understanding of how this election is turning out
It is troubling and sad how easily the Republicans are able to manipulate the popular perception of the media as "liberal", when the truth is that the media are SO terrified of this label that they have consistently bent over backwards to minimize the blemishes of the Right.
Obama is the "new" story.... there is more public fascination that comes from a hot, new story. Hence, the greater quantity of coverage. But that simply IS NOT the same thing as bias. Obama has received more than his share of unflattering coverage and commentary. McCain has gotten extremely kind coverage, considering all the outrageous distortions and gaffes he has propogated.
From the narrowing polls, I can only conclude that (1) my fellow Americans are, on average, pretty dumb–buying in to the absolute falsehood that approving offshore and ANWR drilling now will have ANY effect now or even in the long term on gas pump prices; (2) my fellow Americans are more racist than they are willing to admit; and (3) the Right has mastered the art of manipulating the general public.
This may seem harsh, but what other explanation is there for the constant drumbeat of commentators harping about Obama's "lack of substance," even though one can find detailed proposals on his campaign website and other sources (an age-old canard, by the way: literally NO politician has EVER stood up at a campaign event to deliver detailed policy proposals)? And how else can one explain the lukewarm American response to his international trip, when it was all the Right could do in goading him that he hadn't been to Iraq often enough? I only pray that the people see the light soon, and vote for Obama in November.
The polls mean nothing until after the debates and you all know debates come after the conventions polls are useless right now!!!!!!!!!
McCain is lucky that the media is covering Obama so much. Had his mistakes (when the surge actually began, the Pakistan/Iraqi border, Czechslovakia, the Viagra face, joking about killing Iranians with cigarettes, his far more numerous flip-flops on major policy...I could go on and on) been plastered all over the media like Obama's are, McCain would be at least 20 points down. McCain can be the whiney girl he obviously is over the lack of coverage he's been getting, but he should count his blessings that the world has been largely left unaware to how much of a senile, bumbling idiot he is.
This is hilarious. The Messiah of the world only ahead by 4 points!
The New York time's profits is down over %80 last month. The harder they try to make this guy win, the more people dislike him. Americans are not that stupid to see through the media bias.
We don't want to vote for a guy pushing communism in America.
OK let ante up here. I'm seeing a lot of Ron Paul signs here in Indiana and I am sure that in blue states we're getting Nader or whoever in those states. How about they start asking not if you are voting McCain or Obama, but who are you voting for?
Give the 3rd parties a little legitimacy once in a while.
Many of my friends are voting for Obama. They speak of wanting change and “hoping” he will bring about it. They even admit he has not done anything in Chicago or Illinois. There other rational is they say he can be no worse than Bush.
I feel that hoping that a fresh faced and experienced candidate that has never brought change to anything NOT even in Illinois where he did nothing and has done next to nothing as a US Senator is too much of a change or should I say risk for me.
Anyone who is voting for Obama is grasping at straws and is in a panic mode. He is all Hype and no substance.
More proof that Obama is a weak candidate.
ANY Democrat should be trouncing the Repubs.
Obama has the media campaigning for him, does an overseas photo op at our expense, controls the message, blocks out press questions, outspends on promotion, and STILL cannot pull ahead.
Hillary would have a commanding margin at this point.
So, the Obama Summer Tour did not produce a big bump as expected?
How I miss Hillary!!!!
Read this article from Rasmussen Reports dated July 15:
McCain fares better against Obama than he does against two other prominent Democrats. New York Senator Hillary Clinton leads McCain by eight points, 50% to 42%. Former Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000, leads McCain 50% to 43%.
These numbers help explain why Election 2008 is competitive even though events so heavily favor the Democrats - because the Republicans are on course to nominate their strongest possible general election candidate but the Democrats are not. Perhaps even more importantly, the data suggests that voters don’t see a potential McCain Administration as the third term of President Bush.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/obama_leads_bush_by_twenty_but_clinton_does_better_against_mccain
Can somebody do a poll of how many of those 43% use the internet, know what Google and UTube are. My guess would be 12% of the 43%.
The 47% that support Obama would be 87%.
You CANT spend an hour Googling McCain, or Utubing him, and come back in support.
Start Google with McCain and almost any other word. King, hero, taxes, rhinestone, flip, flop, <<< any one of these key words
OMG, McCain is doing quite well on the liberal poll of polls. 4 points is not a huge leade by Obama. it may well go down after this trip though as he is now proving to be out of touch with average americans, just wants to be loved by the world.
Also the reason why there are not as many McCain signes is because 75% of the media is making Obama the savior of the USA.
I have a McCain sign in my window at home. Others in my area like McCain as well, but are afraid to show it because according to many news souces if you don't vote for Obama you are a racist or just flat out dumb.
Obama is the MTV canidate. He can do no wrong and he gets the rock star treatment by the media.
Isn't it clear what Obama's strategy is?
To just LOOK GOOD and avoid town hall debates and citizens' questions–just wait it out and only do the required debating.
Poseur!
Can't wait for the debates!
These polls don't include college students or people with only cell phones
Maybe McCain's fearmongering is working?
Or Bush's stance changes to follow Obama's suggestions are changing the views of voters toward Rep?
Just keep watching, the closer we get to the election the experience factor will come heavily into play. McCain has been to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times through the past 20-30 years. Yet this is Obamas first diplomatic trip. We'll see soon enough if Obama has what it takes.
McCain looks at reporters with such contempt when they ask him a question he doesnt know, or doesn't want to answer. No wonder no one wants to follow him. Who wants a president with an attitude like that? Yuck.
McCain keeps up his negative campaining because he can get away with it while Obama is overseas. However, Obama will be coming back shortly and so will the Poll Numbers...only he won't end up ahead by 6 points, it will most likely be by 60 points.
Look Out McCain...theres a landslide coming to bury you in November!!
If you think he's the Messiah, vote against him. I think he's a man, and a decent one who has my vote in November.
Obama 08
If Obama was a viable Candidate he would be ahead by more points then the margin for error!
What a Joke!
I haven't talked to a single person who plans on voting for the Left Wing Nut Job in Training Pants!
McCain 08
This shows that the silent majority is going to vote in the right guy ans it is not a freshman senator.
I can't understand why Obama is only up by 4 points. Now I'm starting to think that people don't want to vote for him because of his race. What ashame. People thank with your minds don't make the same mistake twice.
Agree with you Don, the mix of polls that make up this average is changing each week. If you look at individual polls, you will get a different story.
Check out zogby.com's interactive map – just updated. Florida is now a purple state. With the new latino poll that CNN is reporting in the ticker – It wouldn't surprise me if Texas doesn't get updated as well.
The polls change like the wind.
Obamanation '08
YES WE CAN!
I guess I'll follow your example by buying a blood pressure monitor and take my reading at least hourly. This obsession with up-to-the-minute polling is merely political hypochrondria. It doesn't tell us much that is really useful.
Polls aren't everything! Obama will still become President! McBush hasn't enough "fire in his belly"!