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McCain and Obama deadlocked in Ohio
By Marc Kovac
Poll results show the presidential race is a toss-up in key swing states.
COLUMBUS — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has lost his lead in one of three so-called swing states and is tied in another after leading in all three a month ago, according to a new poll.
Obama trailed Republican John McCain, the U.S. senator from Arizona, in Florida, 47 percent to 43 percent, according to the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
The two were in a virtual dead heat in Ohio, with 44 percent favoring Obama and 43 percent favoring McCain. Obama continued to lead in Pennsylvania, 49 percent to 42 percent. The Illinois senator led all three states in a poll in late July.
“Eight weeks ago, Senator Barack Obama was on top in all three of these key swing states, and that would make his election almost a sure thing,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the institute, said in a released statement. “Times have changed, and the election is now very much a toss-up in these states.”
He added, “Senator Obama needs this convention to give his campaign a jump start.”
The Connecticut-based institute regularly gauges voters’ opinions of candidates and issues in Ohio and other swing states. Its latest poll involved 1,234 likely Ohio voters contacted over the past week.
Among the Ohio results:
UObama led McCain among women (51 percent to 37 percent), black voters (89 percent to 3 percent) and younger voters (51 percent to 41 percent).
UMcCain led among men (50 percent to 37 percent), white voters (49 percent to 38 percent) and older voters (44 percent to 42 percent).
“The big question in Ohio is how much the gender gap will decide the election,” Brown said.
“Gender support for each candidate is a virtual mirror of the other. McCain is winning men by the same margin that Obama is carrying women. Something has to give one way or the other.”
Ohioans put more trust in Obama to handle the current energy crisis, the national economy and natural disasters.
They put more trust in McCain to handle terrorist incidents, Russian relations and potential conflicts between Israel and Iran.
Those polled in all three states continued to give unfavorable ratings to President Bush, with only 32 percent in Florida, 30 percent in Ohio and 25 percent in Pennsylvania giving him high marks.