Ohio picks Obama, latest Ohio Newspaper Poll shows

Ohio voters, wrong only twice when picking the president in the last 108 years, remain nearly split over their choice for the White House, according to a new Ohio Newspaper Poll.

But while the race remains a statistical dead-heat, more voters are siding with Democrat Barack Obama, who has erased Republican John McCain’s previous lead in the Buckeye State and now holds a 3-point advantage, 49 percent to 46 percent.

In the Mahoning Valley, Frank Fitzhugh of Howland, a retired steelworker, says his presidential vote is more against Republican John McCain than for Democrat Barack Obama.

Jeff Littell of Warren, who works at the Kmart warehouse in Bazetta, says one of the main reasons he’s voting for McCain isn’t his support for the Republican nominee, but his opposition to Obama.

The two are among the 886 likely voters interviewed by telephone between Oct. 18 and Wednesday for the latest Ohio Newspaper Poll.

Conducted Oct. 18-22, the poll also asked Ohioans their views on the Iraq war and national security, issues where McCain holds an advantage. But with the economic crisis eclipsing all other issues, especially in Ohio, Obama has been able to keep the race focused on pocket-book issues, to his benefit.

The poll shows that support for Obama has increased by 7 percentage points since the first poll was taken in mid-September. McCain’s support has declined by 2 percentage points since then, and he has lost ground with white voters and with men.

The poll is a partnership between the Ohio News Organization — consisting of the state’s eight largest daily newspapers, including The Vindicator — and the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research.

For the complete stories, see Sunday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.