Obama Ahead By A Hair In Latest National Poll

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Despite lopsided media coverage on the presidential race, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) are essentially tied nationwide.

The latest Fox poll said on Thursday that Obama is ahead by a nose, 41 percent to 40 percent. Nineteen percent of voters said they were still undecided.

Obama's lead goes up by two points, 40 percent to 37 percent, if it is a four-man race including Libertarian nominee Bob Barr and Independent candidate Ralph Nader. But a significant number of voters, 17 percent, were still undecided.

Last month's poll also had Obama leading by a hair, 45 percent to 41 percent in a two-man race and 42 percent to 39 percent with Barr and Nader considered.

The freshman Democrat leads narrowly among independent voters, a constituency both he and McCain, a maverick Republican, have been in contesting. Obama leads 34 percent to 32 percent in a two-way race and 32 percent to 30 percent in a four-man election. Undecided independents accounted for 34 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

More voters believe Obama's visit to Europe and the Middle East this week is more of a campaign event, 47 percent, than a fact-finding trip, 19 percent, as the Democrat's have claimed. A significant number of voters - 10 percent overall, 20 percent of Republicans and 7 percent of independents - also believe that Obama is a Muslim.

Nevertheless, 51 percent of all voters think Obama will win in November regardless of who they vote for. Twenty-seven percent say McCain will win the election and 22 percent are unsure.

The results are based on telephone interviews on July 22-23 among 900 registered voters. Its margin of error is 3 percent.