Poll shows McCain’s gaining on Obama

By Marc Kovac

The poll shows voters like Obama’s energy plan; more whites support McCain.

COLUMBUS — Presumptive Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain closed the margins with Democratic frontrunner U.S. Sen. Barack Obama among likely voters in three swing states, according to a new poll.

Obama, D-Ill., still led Mc- Cain, R-Ariz., in Ohio (46 percent-44 percent), Pennsylvania (49 percent-42 percent) and Florida (46 percent-44 percent) among voters questioned by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute over the past week. Poll results were released Thursday.

But the differences were a lot closer than a month ago. And Florida and Ohio, according to the institute, are still “too close to call.”

“The $64,000 question is whether Sen. John McCain’s surge is a result of Sen. Obama’s much-publicized Middle Eastern and European trip or just a coincidence that it occurred while Sen. Obama was abroad,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the institute said in a release.

“While Obama was on tour trying to show voters he could handle world affairs, voters were home trying to fill their gas tanks,” Brown’s release said.

He added, “The same voters who give President George W. Bush job approval ratings that are more than 2-1 negative want Congress to go along with the president on offshore oil drilling.”

McCain clearly sees public support for drilling as a means to challenge Obama’s claim to be the best candidate to fix the economy.

More voters still say Obama has the best energy plan.

“Whether that’s because they don’t know the specifics of each man’s plan, or just don’t think drilling is important enough to swing their votes, is the great unknown,” Brown said.

The Connecticut-based institute regularly gauges the opinions of voters in Ohio and other so-called swing states on candidates and political issues.

The polls were conducted July 23-29. They involved telephone interviews with 1,248 likely Florida voters, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points; 1,229 likely Ohio voters, with a 2.8 point margin of sampling error; and 1,317 likely Pennsylvania voters with a 2.7 point margin of sampling error.

Among the Ohio results:

UObama outpaced McCain among women voters (47 percent-44 percent), men (46 percent-45 percent) and black voters (89 percent-2 percent). McCain, meanwhile, received more support among white voters (49 percent-42 percent) and among those older than 55 (48 percent-41 percent).

UPotential first lady Cindy McCain topped Michelle Obama, 33 percent-27 percent.

UOhioans support drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, 55 percent-40 percent. A total of 57 percent also support increased use of renewable energy sources. “Not surprisingly, McCain’s improved showing in Ohio stems from slightly better numbers among white voters,” Brown said.

mkovac@dixcom.com