McCain's Poll Numbers Retreat

Update Pennsylvania

Record Pa. voter registration pads Democrats' edge
10/7/2008, 4:26 p.m. EDT
By PETER JACKSON
The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic registration has surged by 13 percent and Republican ranks have shrunk by 1 percent as a record 8.6 million people in battleground Pennsylvania registered to vote in the 2008 presidential election.

Last-minute registrations on Monday, the deadline, still have to be counted, but the total released by Pennsylvania's State Department already far exceeds the previous record of 8.4 million set in 2004.

http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/pa/index.ssf?/base/politics-1/1223411643267130.xml&storylist=penn

A.B. Stoddard on MSNBC says the downward movement in John McCain's numbers is due to Wall Street situation.

Obama 50 percent. McCain 43 percent.

Map stats

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/maps/obama_vs_mccain/?map=10

Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Over McCain in Poll
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, September 24, 2008; A01

The poll found that, among likely voters, Obama now leads McCain by 52 percent to 43 percent. Two weeks ago, in the days immediately following the Republican National Convention, the race was essentially even, with McCain at 49 percent and Obama at 47 percent.

As a point of comparison, neither of the last two Democratic nominees -- John F. Kerry in 2004 or Al Gore in 2000 -- recorded support above 50 percent in a pre-election poll by the Post and ABC News.

Last week's near-meltdown in the financial markets and the subsequent debate in Washington over a proposed government bailout of troubled financial institutions have made the economy even more important in the minds of voters. Fully 50 percent called the economy and jobs the single most important issue that will determine their vote, up from 37 percent two weeks ago. In contrast, just 9 percent cited the Iraq war as their most important issue, its lowest of the campaign.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/23/AR2008092303667_pf.html