Campaign 2008 (2)

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Campaign 2008 (p. 2) See also: General election trial heats | Rating the contenders

Polls listed chronologically.			► STATE POLLS are in our subscriber area. INFO
.

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 7, 2008. N=675 adults nationwide who watched the presidential debate. MoE ą 4. Per CNN: "Survey respondents were first interviewed as part of a random national sample on October 3-6, 2008. In those interviews, respondents indicated they planned to watch tonight's debate and were willing to be re-interviewed after the debate. Some questions were asked of each respondent both in the pre-debate questionnaire on October 3-6 and on tonight's questionnaire. Where applicable, results for tonight's respondents from both the pre-debate survey and the post-debate survey are reported. 31% of the respondents who participated in tonight's survey identified themselves as Republicans, 38% identified themselves as Democrats, and 30% identified themselves as independents."
					.
"Next, regardless of which presidential candidate you support, please tell me if you think Barack Obama or John McCain would better handle each of the following issues. . . ."
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"The war in Iraq"
	10/7/08	51	47	1	1	-
	9/26/08	52	47	1	-	-
					.
	"Terrorism"
	10/7/08	46	51	1	1	2
	9/26/08	45	49	3	1	2
					.
"Thinking about the following characteristics and qualities, please say whether you think each one better described Barack Obama or John McCain during tonight's debate. . . ."
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Was more intelligent"
	10/7/08	57	25	14	2	2
	9/26/08	55	30	14	1	2
					.
	"Answered the questions more directly"
	10/7/08	50	37	7	5	-
					.
	"Seemed to care more about the needs and problems of the audience members who asked questions"
	10/7/08	47	33	15	3	2

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 3-5, 2008. Adults nationwide. LV = likely voters. RV = registered voters.
					.
"If John McCain were elected president in November, do you think he would mostly carry out the policies of George W. Bush or mostly have policies that are different from those of George W. Bush?" N=694 likely voters, MoE ą 3.5
					.
		Bush Policies	Different Policies	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/3-5/08 LV	54	44	1
	9/19-21/08 LV	52	47	1
	9/5-7/08 RV	50	48	1
	8/29-31/08 RV	54	45	1
	8/23-24/08 RV	50	49	1
	4/28-30/08 RV	48	50	2
					.
"Based on what you know about Sarah Palin, do you think she is qualified to serve as president if it becomes necessary, or not?" N=353 likely voters, MoE ą 5 (Form A)
					.
		Qualified	Not Qualified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/3-5/08 LV	43	57	-
	9/5-7/08 RV	50	48	2
	8/29-31/08 RV	45	50	5
					.
"Based on what you know about Joe Biden, do you think he is qualified to serve as president if it becomes necessary, or not?" N=353 likely voters, MoE ą 5 (Form A)
					.
		Qualified	Not Qualified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/3-5/08 LV	80	18	1
	9/5-7/08 RV	70	28	2
	8/29-31/08 RV	63	26	10
					.
"Suppose you could cast two separate votes in November -- one just for president and another vote just for vice president. Who would you be more likely to vote for if you could vote separately for vice president: Joe Biden, the Democrat, or Sarah Palin, the Republican?" N=694 likely voters, MoE ą 3.5
					.
		Biden	Palin	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/08 LV	54	44	2	-
	8/29-31/08 RV	54	41	4	1
					.
"How confident are you in the ability of each of the following to handle the current financial crisis: very confident, somewhat confident, not very confident, or not confident at all? . . ." N=510 adults, MoE ą 4.5 (Form A)
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Very Confident	Not at All Confident
		%	%	%	%
	Barack Obama
	10/3-5/08 Adults	29	39	14	19
					.
	John McCain
	10/3-5/08 Adults	14	36	26	23

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 2, 2008. N=611 adults nationwide who watched the vice presidential debate. MoE ą 4. Per CNN: "Survey respondents were first interviewed as part of a random national sample on September 30 through October 1, 2008. In those interviews, respondents indicated they planned to watch tonight's debate and were willing to be re-interviewed after the debate. Some questions were asked of each respondent both in the pre-debate questionnaire on September 30 through October 1 and on tonight's questionnaire. Where applicable, results for tonight's respondents from both the pre-debate survey and the post-debate survey are reported. 31% of the respondents who participated in tonight's survey identified themselves as Republicans, 37% identified themselves as Democrats, and 31% identified themselves as independents."
					.
"Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the best job in the debate: Joe Biden or Sarah Palin?"
					.
		Biden	Palin	Neither (vol.)	Both (vol.)
		%	%	%	%
	10/2/08	51	36	2	11
					.
"Did Joe Biden do a better or worse job than you expected?"
					.
		Better	Worse	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/2/08	64	14	20	1
					.
"Did Sarah Palin do a better or worse job than you expected?"
					.
		Better	Worse	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/2/08	84	7	8	1
					.
"Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Joe Biden?"
					.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Never Heard of (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/2/08	69	28	-	2
	9/30 - 10/1/08	58	35	1	6
					.
"Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Sarah Palin?"
					.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/2/08	56	42	2
	9/30 - 10/1/08	48	47	4
					.
"Based on what you know about Joe Biden, do you think he is qualified to serve as president if it becomes necessary, or not?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/2/08	87	12	1
	9/30 - 10/1/08	78	19	3
					.
"Based on what you know about Sarah Palin, do you think she is qualified to serve as president if it becomes necessary, or not?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/2/08	46	53	2
	9/30 - 10/1/08	42	54	4
					.
"Thinking about the following characteristics and qualities, please say whether you think each one better described Joe Biden or Sarah Palin during tonight's debate. . . ."
					.
		Biden	Palin	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Seemed more like a typical politician"
	10/2/08	70	21	7	2	-
					.
	"Was more intelligent"
	10/2/08	57	26	15	1	2
					.
	"Seemed more likely to bring the kind of change the country needs"
	10/2/08	53	42	1	3	1
					.
	"Expressed their views more clearly"
	10/2/08	52	36	11	-	1
					.
	"Was more in touch with the needs and problems of people like you"
	10/2/08	50	44	4	2	1
					.
	"Spent more time attacking their opponent"
	10/2/08	43	36	16	4	1
					.
	"Was more likeable"
	10/2/08	36	54	9	1	-

CBS News Poll. Sept. 27-30, 2008. N=1,113 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Who do you think will win the vice presidential debate: Joe Biden or Sarah Palin?"
					.
		Biden	Palin	Tie (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-30/08	50	26	1	23

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 27-29, 2008. N=1,070 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all registered voters). RV = registered voters. Among adults, except where noted.
					.
"Regardless of who you may support, who do you trust more to handle [see below]: Obama or McCain?" Candidate names rotated
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"Fixing the problems with major financial institutions"
	9/27-29/08 RV	50	40	1	6	4
					.
	"International affairs" Half sample
	9/27-29/08 RV	44	49	1	2	3
	9/5-7/08 RV	39	51	2	3	6
	7/10-13/08	45	45	2	3	4
	6/12-15/08	43	49	2	2	3
					.
	"Energy policy" Half sample
	9/27-29/08 RV	51	41	1	4	3
	9/5-7/08 RV	45	43	2	3	8
	6/12-15/08	51	36	1	5	6
					.
					.
"Regardless of who you may support, who do you think [see below]: Obama or McCain?" Candidate names rotated
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"Has a better personality and temperament to be president" Half sample
	9/27-29/08 RV	57	34	4	4	2
	9/5-7/08 RV	57	35	3	2	3
					.
	"Would work better with both Democrats and Republicans in Congress" Half sample
	9/27-29/08 RV	45	47	3	3	3
					.
"Do you think [see below] does or does not have the kind of experience it takes to serve effectively as president, if that became necessary?"
					.
		Does	Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	Joe Biden
	9/27-29/08 RV	70	23	7
	9/4/08 RV	69	19	12
					.
	Sarah Palin
	9/27-29/08 RV	35	60	5
	9/5-7/08 RV	47	45	8
	9/4/08 RV	43	51	6
					.
"Does Obama's choice of Biden for vice president make you more likely to vote for Obama, less likely, or won't it make any difference in your vote?"
					.
		More Likely	Less Likely	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/08 RV	25	13	61	-
	9/4/08 RV	22	11	66	1
					.
"Does McCain's choice of Palin for vice president make you more likely to vote for McCain, less likely, or won't it make any difference in your vote?"
					.
		More Likely	Less Likely	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/08 RV	23	32	45	-
	9/4/08 RV	25	19	55	1
					.
"I have a question about the debate between Obama and McCain Friday night. From what youve seen, heard or read about it, who, in your opinion, won the debate?"
					.
		Obama	McCain	Neither/A Draw (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/08 RV	38	24	22	16

Pew Research Center survey. Sept. 27-29, 2008. N=1,258 registered voters nationwide.
					.
"Which candidate do you think could best address the current problems involving investment banks and companies with ties to the housing market: Barack Obama or John McCain?" Options rotated
					.
		Obama	McCain	Neither (vol.)	Both/ Either (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/08	46	33	7	3	11

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 27, 2008. N=1,005 adults nationwide (MoE ą 3), including 701 who watched the Sept. 26 presidential debate (MoE ą 4).
					.
"Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the better job in last night's debate: John McCain or Barack Obama?" Names rotated
					.
		McCain	Obama	Neither (vol.)	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	Debate watchers	34	46	4	13	3
	ALL adults	28	39	3	9	21
					.
"How has your opinion of the candidates been affected by the debate? Is your opinion of [see below] more favorable, less favorable, or has it not changed much?" Names rotated
					.
		More Favorable	Less Favorable	Not Changed Much	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	John McCain
	Debate watchers	21	21	56	2
	ALL adults	18	17	56	9
					.
	Barack Obama
	Debate watchers	30	14	54	1
	ALL adults	24	12	58	7
					.
"Based on what you saw or read about the debate, which candidate offered the best proposals for change to solve the country's problems: Barack Obama or John McCain?" Names rotated
					.
		McCain	Obama	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	Debate watchers	35	52	8	5
	ALL adults	32	45	9	15
					.
"As a result of the debate, do you now have more confidence, less confidence or the same amount of confidence in [see below] to deal with the economic problems facing the country?" Names rotated
					.
		More Confidence	Less Confidence	Same Amount	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	John McCain
	Debate watchers	23	37	38	2
	ALL adults	20	30	43	8
					.
	Barack Obama
	Debate watchers	34	26	38	2
	ALL adults	27	24	41	9
					.
"As a result of the debate, do you now have more confidence, less confidence or the same amount of confidence in [see below] to deal with matters of national defense and foreign policy?" Names rotated
					.
		More Confidence	Less Confidence	Same Amount	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	John McCain
	Debate watchers	34	27	37	2
	ALL adults	29	24	40	8
					.
	Barack Obama
	Debate watchers	35	29	34	3
	ALL adults	27	25	39	9

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 26-27, 2008. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Next, please say whether you approve or disapprove of the way each of the following has responded to the problems on Wall Street. . . ."
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	Senator Barack Obama	46	43	11
	Senator John McCain	37	53	10

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Sept. 21-24, 2008. N=844 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 4 (for all registered voters).
					.
"Do you think Barack Obama does or does not understand the needs and problems of people like yourself?" 9/12-16/08 & earlier: "Do you think Barack Obama understands the needs and problems of people like yourself?"
					.
		Yes, Does	No, Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	66	27	7
					.
	9/12-16/08	60	33	7
	9/1-3/08	60	34	7
	8/29-31/08	63	31	6
					.
"Do you think Barack Obama has prepared himself well enough for the job of president, or hasn't he?"
					.
		Has	Has Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	46	45	9
	9/12-16/08	48	46	6
	8/29-31/08	44	43	13
	8/15-19/08	44	49	7
					.
"Do you have confidence in Barack Obama's ability to deal wisely with an international crisis, or are you uneasy about his approach?"
					.
		Have Confidence	Uneasy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	41	53	6
					.
"Regardless of how you intend to vote, how likely do you think it is that Barack Obama would be an effective commander-in-chief of the nation's military? Would you say it is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?"
					.
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not at All Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	27	35	20	16	2
	9/12-16/08	26	35	20	17	2
	9/1-3/08	24	36	20	16	4
	8/29-31/08	29	34	18	16	3
	8/15-19/08	21	37	20	20	2
	5/30 - 6/3/08	25	37	17	18	3
					.
"If Barack Obama is elected president, do you think that will make the United States' image in the world better, make it worse, or will it have no effect on the United States' image in the world?"
					.
		Better	Worse	No Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	53	12	29	6
	8/15-19/08	52	17	25	6
					.
"If Barack Obama is elected president, what would concern you more about his handling of problems with other countries: that he might move too quickly to take military action and not spend enough time on diplomacy, OR that he might spend too much time on diplomacy and not move quickly enough to take military action?"
					.
		Too Quick to Take Action	Too Much Diplomacy	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	10	67	11	12
					.
"Do you think Barack Obama cares more about protecting the interests of ordinary working people or cares more about protecting the interests of large corporations?" Sept. 22-24; N=510
					.
		Ordinary People	Large Corporations	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	70	16	3	3	8
					.
"Do you think John McCain does or does not understand the needs and problems of people like yourself?" 9/12-16/08 & earlier: "Do you think John McCain understands the needs and problems of people like yourself?"
					.
		Yes, Does	No, Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	49	45	6
					.
	9/12-16/08	48	47	5
	9/1-3/08	44	47	9
	8/29-31/08	41	48	11
					.
"Do you think John McCain has prepared himself well enough for the job of president, or hasn't he?"
					.
		Has	Has Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	62	30	8
	9/12-16/08	71	24	5
					.
"Do you have confidence in John McCain's ability to deal wisely with an international crisis, or are you uneasy about his approach?"
					.
		Have Confidence	Uneasy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	49	47	4
					.
"Regardless of how you intend to vote, how likely do you think it is that John McCain would be an effective commander-in-chief of the nation's military? Would you say it is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?"
					.
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not at All Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	48	29	11	8	4
	9/12-16/08	52	27	10	10	1
	9/1-3/08	46	31	10	8	5
	8/29-31/08	45	32	10	9	4
	8/15-19/08	44	36	12	7	1
	5/30 - 6/3/08	39	38	10	10	3
					.
"If John McCain is elected president, do you think that will make the United States' image in the world better, make it worse, or will it have no effect on the United States' image in the world?"
					.
		Better	Worse	No Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	23	26	43	8
	8/15-19/08	24	22	47	7
					.
"If John McCain is elected president, what would concern you more about his handling of problems with other countries: that he might move too quickly to take military action and not spend enough time on diplomacy, OR that he might spend too much time on diplomacy and not move quickly enough to take military action?"
					.
		Too Quick to Take Action	Too Much Diplomacy	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	63	17	9	11
					.
"Do you think John McCain cares more about protecting the interests of ordinary working people or cares more about protecting the interests of large corporations?" Sept. 22-24; N=510
					.
		Ordinary People	Large Corporations	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	32	52	5	1	10
					.
"How confident are you in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions about the economy? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	29	35	20	14	2
	9/12-16/08	23	37	22	17	1
	8/15-19/08	23	42	16	18	1
					.
"How confident are you in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions about the war in Iraq? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	26	30	24	18	2
	9/12-16/08	26	26	19	27	2
					.
"How confident are you in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions about foreign policy issues? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	24	38	23	12	3
	8/15-19/08	18	37	21	23	1
					.
"How confident are you in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions when it comes to protecting the country from a terrorist attack? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	28	32	20	17	3
					.
"How confident are you in John McCain's ability to make the right decisions about the economy? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	17	38	25	20	0
	9/12-16/08	18	35	22	24	1
	8/15-19/08	11	43	28	16	2
					.
"How confident are you in John McCain's ability to make the right decisions about the war in Iraq? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	30	28	20	21	1
	9/12-16/08	36	20	17	26	1
					.
"How confident are you in John McCain's ability to make the right decisions about foreign policy issues? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	23	44	19	13	1
	8/15-19/08	23	43	18	15	1
					.
"How confident are you in John McCain's ability to make the right decisions when it comes to protecting the country from a terrorist attack? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	40	35	13	10	2

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,287 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Who do you think has the better ideas for strengthening the nation's economy: Barack Obama or John McCain?"
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	46	32	7	8	7
					.
"Who do you think would be best at dealing with the rising gas and oil prices: Barack Obama or John McCain?"
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	46	31	5	11	7

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Neil Newhouse (R). Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,085 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all registered voters).
					.
"Now I'd like you to compare Barack Obama and John McCain on a few issues. For each one, please tell me whether you think that Barack Obama or John McCain would be better on that issue. If you think that both would be equally good or that neither would be good on a particular issue, just say so. Who do you think would be better when it comes to [see below]: Barack Obama or John McCain, or do you think that both would be equally good or neither would be good?"
					.
		Obama	McCain	Equally Good	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.	.
	"Health care" Half sample (Form B)
	9/19-22/08	50	27	10	7	6
	8/15-18/08	48	27	9	12	4
					.	.
	"Improving the economy" Half sample (Form A)
	9/19-22/08	46	34	9	7	4
	8/15-18/08	42	30	14	9	5
					.	.
	"Energy and the cost of gas" Half sample (Form B)
	9/19-22/08	43	34	11	7	5
	8/15-18/08	39	32	13	11	5
					.	.
	"The mortgage and housing crisis" Half sample (Form A)
	9/19-22/08	38	30	12	12	8
	8/15-18/08	35	25	14	17	9
					.	.
	"The situation in Iraq" Half sample (Form A)
	9/19-22/08	38	47	7	6	2
	8/15-18/08	36	46	7	7	4
					.	.
	"Issues related to moral values" Half sample (Form B)
	9/19-22/08	37	36	17	6	4
	8/15-18/08	31	33	26	5	5
					.	.
	"Taxes" Half sample (Form A)
	9/19-22/08	37	41	8	9	5
	8/15-18/08	38	39	7	9	7
					.	.
	"Dealing with the Wall Street financial crisis"
	9/19-22/08	35	30	12	13	10
					.	.
	"Illegal immigration" Half sample (Form B)
	9/19-22/08	27	34	12	15	12
	8/15-18/08	27	34	17	12	10

Pew Research Center survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"Regardless of which candidate you prefer, which candidate do you think could best address the problems investment banks and companies with ties to the housing market are having: [see below]?" Options rotated
					.
		Barack Obama	John McCain	Both/ Either (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	47	35	3	8	7

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 19-21, 2008. Likely voters nationwide. LV = likely voters. Among registered voters, except where noted.
					.
"Thinking about the following characteristics and qualities, please say whether you think each one applies more to Barack Obama or more to John McCain. . . ." N=342 likely voters, MoE ą 5.5 (Form A)
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Would display good judgment in an international crisis"
	9/19-21/08 LV	44	53	2	1	1
	9/5-7/08	41	54	5	-	-
	8/29-31/08	45	50	2	2	-
	8/23-24/08	43	52	2	2	1
					.
	"Would display good judgment in an economic crisis"
	9/19-21/08 LV	48	45	3	4	-
					.
	"Stands up to special interests"
	9/19-21/08 LV	49	48	1	2	-
					.
"As you may know, the presidential and vice presidential candidates will hold televised debates later this fall. Who do you think is likely to do a better job in the presidential debates: Barack Obama, or John McCain?" N=697 likely voters, MoE ą 3.5
					.
		Obama	McCain	No Differ- ence (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-21/08 LV	59	34	5	1
					.
"And who do you think is likely to do a better job in the vice presidential debates: Joe Biden, or Sarah Palin?" N=697 likely voters, MoE ą 3.5
					.
		Biden	Palin	No Differ- ence (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-21/08 LV	48	47	4	1
					.
"As you may know, the government of Alaska is conducting an investigation into Sarah Palin's decision to fire a state worker while she was governor. Palin and her husband have been subpoenaed to testify in that investigation but they have said they would not do so. Based on what you have read or heard about this matter, do you think Sarah Palin and her husband should or should not testify in this investigation?" N=697 likely voters, MoE ą 3.5
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-21/08 LV	63	30	7

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 17, 2008. Adults nationwide.
					.
"Which presidential candidate do you think can do a better job of handling the current problems on Wall Street: Barack Obama or John McCain?" Options rotated. N=1,056 adults, MoE ą 3.
					.
		Obama	McCain	Same/No Difference (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/17/08	43	42	6	9
					.
"Do the current problems on Wall Street make you more likely to vote for John McCain, more likely to vote for Barack Obama, or will they not affect your vote?" Options rotated. N=959 registered voters, MoE ą 3.
					.
		More Likely McCain	More Likely Obama	No Effect On Vote	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/17/08	23	29	43	5

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Sept. 12-16, 2008. N=1,004 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think Barack Obama has made it clear what he would do as president, or hasn't he done that yet?"
					.
		Has	Has Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	52	44	4
	8/29-31/08	50	44	6
	8/15-19/08	41	55	4
					.
"Do you think Barack Obama shares the values most Americans try to live by, or doesn't he?"
					.
		Does	Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	66	27	7
	8/15-19/08	63	31	6
	5/30 - 6/3/08	62	30	8
					.
"Do you think John McCain has made it clear what he would do as president, or hasn't he done that yet?"
					.
		Has	Has Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	52	42	6
					.
"Do you think John McCain shares the values most Americans try to live by, or doesn't he?"
					.
		Does	Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	61	33	6
	8/15-19/08	63	30	7
	5/30 - 6/3/08	63	28	9
					.
"If he were elected president, do you think Barack Obama would bring about real change in the way things are done in Washington, or wouldn't he do that?"
					.
		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	65	29	6
					.
"If he were elected president, do you think John McCain would bring about real change in the way things are done in Washington, or wouldn't he do that?"
					.
		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	37	59	4
					.
"When Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate, do you think it was MORE because he thinks Joe Biden is well-qualified for the job, or MORE because he thinks Joe Biden would help him win the election?"
					.
		Well- Qualified	Help Win Election	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	57	31	5	7
					.
"When John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, do you think it was MORE because he thinks Sarah Palin is well-qualified for the job, or MORE because he thinks Sarah Palin would help him win the election?"
					.
		Well- Qualified	Help Win Election	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	17	75	6	2
					.
"What do you think John McCain will do if he is elected president: do you think he will generally continue George W. Bush's policies, change to more conservative policies, or change to less conservative policies?"
					.
		Bush Policies	More Conservative	Less Conservative	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	46	22	26	6
	8/29-31/08	48	19	20	13
	8/15-19/08	47	20	24	9
	5/30 - 6/3/08	43	21	28	8
					.
"If Barack Obama is elected president and cannot finish his term in office, do you think Joe Biden would be qualified to serve as president, or would you be concerned about him?"
					.
		Qualified	Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	65	24	11
					.
"If John McCain is elected president and cannot finish his term in office, do you think Sarah Palin would be qualified to serve as president, or would you be concerned about her?"
					.
		Qualified	Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/12-16/08	33	62	4

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Sept. 10-11, 2008. N=1,038 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.8.
					.
"Regardless of which individual candidates you now support for president and Congress, in general, which PARTY would you rather see control the political agenda in Washington over the next four years: the Democrats or the Republicans?" Options rotated
					.
		Democrats	Republicans	Neither/Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	47	41	6	6
					.
"If elected, which ticket do you think is MOST likely to bring about the changes this country needs: Barack Obama and Joe Biden, or John McCain and Sarah Palin?" Options rotated
					.
		Obama/Biden	McCain/Palin	Both/Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	47	42	6	5
					.
"Does John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate make you more likely or less likely to vote for McCain this fall, or does it not make much difference either way?"
					.
		More Likely	Less Likely	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	29	22	47	2
					.
"Does Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate make you more likely or less likely to vote for Obama this fall, or does it not make much difference either way?"
					.
		More Likely	Less Likely	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	21	17	60	2
					.
"Do you think Joe Biden is qualified to step in as president if he had to?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	71	19	10
					.
"If elected, Sarah Palin would be the first woman vice president. Does this make you more likely to vote for John McCain and the Republican ticket this fall, or not?"
					.
		More Likely	Not More Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	18	77	5
					.
"Based on what you have seen or heard about Sarah Palin so far, please tell me whether or not you think each of the following phrases describes Palin. What about [see below]? Does this describe Palin, or not?"
					.
		Does Describe	Does Not Describe	Unsure
		%	%	%
					.
	"Has taken on her own party to fight corruption in the Alaska state government"
	9/10-11/08	60	18	22
					.
	"Has a record of opposing wasteful earmarks or 'pork barrel' government spending"
	9/10-11/08	47	31	22
					.
	"Shares your views on the abortion issue"
	9/10-11/08	40	39	21
					.
	"Shares your views about environmental policy and climate change"
	9/10-11/08	49	31	20
					.
"Based on what you've seen or heard about the so-called 'Bridge to Nowhere' -- a 400 million dollar proposed transportation project in Alaska -- which of the following best describes Sarah Palin's role in stopping the project? Palin personally stopped the project by telling Congress 'thanks but no thanks,' rejecting federal funding. OR, Palin dropped her support for the project only after it became clear that Congress would not fund it."
					.
		Personally Stopped the Project	Dropped Support After Clear That Congress Wouldn't Fund	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	24	41	35
					.
"Overall, do you think the national media's coverage of Sarah Palin has been too critical of her, not critical enough, or about right?"
					.
		Too Critical	Not Critical Enough	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	37	17	37	9
					.
"Do you have reservations about electing a woman vice president who has a new child with special needs, or is this not a concern for you?"
					.
		Have Reservations	Not a Concern	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	10	88	2
					.
"Do you have reservations about electing a woman vice president who has a teenage daughter who is pregnant, or is this not a concern for you?"
					.
		Have Reservations	Not a Concern	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-11/08	7	91	2

Pew Research Center survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. Sept. 5-8, 2008. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"Based on what you know about the Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, do you think she is qualified to serve as PRESIDENT if it becomes necessary, or not?"
					.
		Qualified	Not Qualified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-8/08	52	39	9
					.
"Based on what you know about the Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, do you think he is qualified to serve as PRESIDENT if it becomes necessary, or not?"
					.
		Qualified	Not Qualified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-8/08	66	22	12
					.
"Thinking back over the last week and the reporting of Sarah Palin's background, do you think news organizations have given this story too much coverage, too little coverage, or about the right amount?"
					.
		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/5-8/08	43	7	47	3
					.
"Do you think news organizations have been fair or unfair to Sarah Palin in their coverage of her?"
					.
		Fair	Unfair	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-8/08	50	46	4
					.
"Apart from the WAY news organizations are reporting the story, do you think it is important that voters learn about the details of Sarah Palin's background in order to judge whether she would be a good vice president, or do you think the details of her background are not related to her ability to serve as vice president?"
					.
		Important To Learn Details	Not Related To Ability To Serve	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-8/08	70	27	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 5-7, 2008. N=961 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all registered voters). Fieldwork by TNS. RV = registered voters. Among adults, except where noted.
					.
"Regardless of who you may support, who do you trust more to handle [see below]: Obama or McCain?" Candidate names rotated
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Social issues, such as abortion and gay civil unions"
	9/5-7/08 RV	48	41	1	4	6
	7/10-13/08	56	32	2	5	6
					.
	"The federal budget deficit" Half sample
	9/5-7/08 RV	44	39	1	7	9
	7/10-13/08	50	36	3	8	3
					.
					.
"Regardless of who you may support, who do you think [see below]: Obama or McCain?" Candidate names rotated. Each item asked of half the sample.
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Better represents your own personal values"
	9/5-7/08 RV	48	44	2	4	3
					.
	"Is more consistent in his positions"
	9/5-7/08 RV	41	47	2	4	7
					.
	"Is more honest and trustworthy"
	9/5-7/08 RV	38	44	5	7	6
					.
	"Better understands the problems of people like you"
	9/5-7/08 RV	51	39	1	6	3
					.
	"Would be a better commander-in-chief of the military"
	9/5-7/08 RV	24	69	1	2	4
					.
"Do you think [see below] does or does not understand the economic problems people in this country are having?"
					.
		Does	Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	Obama
	9/5-7/08 RV	74	23	3
					.
	McCain
	9/5-7/08 RV	53	43	4

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 5-7, 2008. N=942 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all registered voters).
					.
"Now suppose you could cast two separate votes in November -- one vote just for president and another vote just for vice president. If the ballot in your state only included the Democratic and Republican candidates, who would you be more likely to vote for if you could vote just for president: [see below]?" If unsure: "As of today, who do you lean more toward?" Options rotated
					.
		McCain	Obama	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	48	49	2	1
					.
"And if you could cast a vote for vice president, who would you be more likely to vote for if you could vote just for vice president: [see below]?" If unsure: "As of today, who do you lean more toward?" Options rotated
					.
		Palin	Biden	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	53	44	2	1
					.
"Now I'm going to mention a few issues and for each one, please tell me if you think Barack Obama or John McCain would better handle that issue if they were elected president. . . ."
					.
		Obama	McCain	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"Illegal immigration"
	9/5-7/08	38	54	6	3
	8/29-31/08	42	51	7	1
	8/23-24/08	43	48	7	2
	7/27-29/08	42	49	7	1
	4/28-30/08	41	49	8	2
					.
	"Social Security"
	9/5-7/08	48	43	7	2
	8/29-31/08	52	42	6	-
	8/23-24/08	50	44	6	1
					.
	"Gas prices" N=461 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form A)
	9/5-7/08	46	44	8	2
	8/29-31/08	53	38	8	-
	8/23-24/08	48	42	9	2
	7/27-29/08	51	40	8	1
	4/28-30/08	52	38	9	2
					.
"Thinking about the following characteristics and qualities, please say whether you think each one applies more to Barack Obama or more to John McCain. . . ." N=461 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form A)
					.
		Obama	McCain	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Is a strong and decisive leader"
	9/5-7/08	37	56	5	3	-
	8/29-31/08	44	49	3	3	-
	8/23-24/08	41	51	3	4	1
					.
	"Can unite the country"
	9/5-7/08	53	37	1	8	-
	8/29-31/08	57	33	1	8	-
	8/23-24/08	52	37	2	8	1
					.
	"Has a clear plan for solving the country's problems"
	9/5-7/08	40	42	2	14	1
	8/29-31/08	48	37	1	13	-
	8/23-24/08	42	39	1	17	1
					.
	"Cares about people like you"
	9/5-7/08	49	40	5	6	-
	8/29-31/08	54	36	3	6	-
	8/23-24/08	53	36	3	7	1
					.
	"Shares your values"
	9/5-7/08	45	49	2	4	-
	8/29-31/08	50	43	2	5	-
	8/23-24/08	48	44	2	6	1
					.
"Do you think [see below] can or cannot handle the responsibilities of commander-in-chief?"
					.
		Can	Cannot	Unsure
		%	%	%
	John McCain
	9/5-7/08	79	20	1
	8/29-31/08	72	28	1
	8/23-24/08	78	21	1
					.
	Barack Obama
	9/5-7/08	59	38	3
	8/29-31/08	59	40	1
	8/23-24/08	58	41	1
					.
"Would you say that John McCain and the Republican Party have or have not attacked Barack Obama unfairly?"
					.
		Have	Have Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	42	56	2
	8/29-31/08	41	58	1
	8/23-24/08	50	48	2
					.
"Would you say that Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have or have not attacked John McCain unfairly?"
					.
		Have	Have Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	31	67	2
	8/29-31/08	30	68	2
	8/23-24/08	32	64	4
					.
"How would you rate John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for vice president? Would you rate this choice as excellent, pretty good, only fair, or poor?" N=461 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form A)
					.
		Excellent	Pretty Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	32	26	16	26	-
	8/29-31/08	27	25	21	25	2
					.
"How would you rate Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden for vice president? Would you rate this choice as excellent, pretty good, only fair, or poor?" N=461 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form A)
					.
		Excellent	Pretty Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	22	37	24	16	1
	8/23-24/08	18	36	26	16	5
					.
"Based on what you know about Joe Biden, how good a vice president do you think he would be? Would you say excellent, very good, average, not too good, or poor?" N=481 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form B)
					.
		Excellent	Very Good	Average	Not Too Good	Poor
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	16	29	39	6	7
					.
"Based on what you know about Sarah Palin, how good a vice president do you think she would be? Would you say excellent, very good, average, not too good, or poor?" N=481 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form B)
					.
		Excellent	Very Good	Average	Not Too Good	Poor
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	20	29	25	10	14
					.
"Do you have confidence in Joe Biden's ability to deal with a crisis, or would you feel uneasy about him?" N=481 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form B)
					.
		Have Confidence	Feel Uneasy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	61	37	2
					.
"Do you have confidence in Sarah Palin's ability to deal with a crisis, or would you feel uneasy about her?" N=481 registered voters, MoE ą 4.5 (Form B)
					.
		Have Confidence	Feel Uneasy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/5-7/08	53	45	1

Earlier polling on Campaign 2008

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