CBS NEWS POLL

For release: Monday, September 1, 2008
4:00 PM EDT
AFTER THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION AND THE PALIN ANNOUNCEMENT
August 29 - 31, 2008


Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s lead over Republican John McCain has
grown after Obama’s convention – one that 71% of Americans (and even 63%
of Republicans) claim they watched. But as we move into the Republican
Convention and a hurricane watch, there are still a significant number
of voters who have yet to firmly make up their minds.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden now lead John McCain and Sarah Palin by eight
points, 48% to 40%, up from Obama’s three point lead before the convention.

***This is the first CBS News Poll to include the Vice Presidential
candidates in the horserace question.***


VOTE FOR PRESIDENT

(Among registered voters)

NOW Pre-convention*
Obama-Biden 48% 45%
McCain-Palin 40 42
Won’t vote 2 2
Undecided 9 10

* PreConvention results were obtained without respondents being asked
about Biden or Palin


Obama wins the support of independent voters in this poll; before the
convention, McCain had a 12 point advantage with this group. Obama’s
lead among women has also grown, to 14 points from 8 points before the
convention. And Obama maintained the lead he had before the convention
among those voters who supported Senator Hillary Clinton in the
Democratic primaries. Support from each candidate’s partisan identifiers
remains unchanged; 82% of Democrats favor Obama, 81% of Republicans
favor McCain.


VOTE FOR PRESIDENT

(Among registered voters)
Obama McCain
All 48% 40
Men 44% 44
Women 50% 36
Republicans 10% 81
Democrats 82% 10
Independents 43% 37

VOTE FOR PRESIDENT

(Among registered voters)
Obama McCain
Clinton supporters 58% 22
Whites 40% 46
White men 35% 51
White women 43% 43

There has also been an increase in the number of Obama voters who are
enthusiastic about him. 67% of Obama voters say they enthusiastically
support him; up from 48% before the convention. About a quarter of
McCain’s backers are enthusiastic about him – unchanged from before he
Democratic convention.


- - - - - - - - - -

Interesting, that's all. Looks like the key to election is in the hands
of independent voters. I'm not sure Palin is going to be much help to
McCain.