New Poll Has Obama Up By 6 Points, Still Trouncing McCain On Economy

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - A national poll released Tuesday found Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has gained an overall lead because of voter perception on his handling of the economy as well as a significant drop in support for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) among independents.

The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC survey said Obama leads McCain nationwide, 49-43 percent.

An increasing number of voters rated the economy as the most important issue facing the nation, and more voters said they were "more assured" with the way Obama has addressed the financial crisis.

Voters who said the government's financial bailout plan directly affected them favored Obama more than McCain by 15 points. In addition, 77 percent of voters think the country is on the wrong track - the worst rating on the question in 40 years of the poll.

The Illinois Democrat has also made gains among independents. He now leads the group by four points, up from trailing McCain by 13 points two weeks ago. Among men, a McCain constituency, Obama has it tied.

But the poll also cautioned that the two upcoming presidential debates and the heightened attacks by Republicans about Obama's associations with his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, could still change the dynamics of the race.

The poll found that 35 percent of voters, and 40 percent of whites, were bothered by Obama's ties to such controversial figures.

Among vice presidential candidates, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is viewed in a positive light by 44 percent of voters, but negatively by 37 percent. Forty-one percent believe she's qualified, while 50 percent think otherwise. Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) has positive rating of 43 percent and a negative rating of 27 percent. Seventy-four percent of voters think he is qualified, while 18 percent do not.

The poll was conducted Oct. 4-5 among registered voters. It has a margin of error of 3.8 percent.