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Gallup Daily Tracking Poll: McCain Beats Obama By 6 Points

Posted by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief in Politics.
May 2nd, 2008 | Comments

The latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll provides the most vivid red flag warning yet for Democratic Senator Barack Obama in his battle with Senator Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination: presumptive GOP nominee Senator John McCain now enjoys a six point lead over Obama and only a one point lead over Clinton.

This will be a welcome piece of data for the Clinton campaign that has had as its strategy Obama not being electable (and many analysts say to make Obama that way):

John McCain has moved to a six percentage point, 48% to 42%, lead over Barack Obama in Gallup Poll Daily tracking of the general election, while he edges out Hillary Clinton by only one point, 46% to 45%.

The ongoing turmoil in the Democratic race — with neither candidate able to sustain a winning streak in the primaries and animosity seemingly mounting between them — seems to be benefiting McCain and hurting both Democrats. Last week McCain had fallen three points behind Clinton in the preferences of registered voters for the general election, and only tied Obama.

Although both Clinton and Obama have lost ground to McCain over the past week, the current results may be particularly troubling for Obama in trying to combat Clinton’s assertion to superdelegates that she would be the more electable of the two candidates in November.

This is McCain’s largest lead in a tracking poll:

The current six-point margin for McCain over Obama is the largest lead McCain has had over either candidate since Gallup began tracking general election preferences in early March. The gap between Obama and Clinton’s percentage of the vote when both are pitted against McCain is also the largest since the general election tracking began.

The bottom line: the contest is not benefiting the Democratic party, as some have claimed — and Obama has lost a host of support since his former pastor decided to extend his 15 minutes of fame into several long public appearances.

The question: can Obama stabilize his campaign in time for the important upcoming North Carolina and Indiana primaries?

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Mike_P

John McCain, who's been running essentially unopposed (if not in fact aided by the Democratic turmoil) is only ahead of the Democratic nominee by 6 points? John McCain, whose name has houshold familiarity and who has been in the national spotlight for a generation - first as a war hero, and now as a war hero who is also a long-serving senator?

Six points - six months away from the actual election, and again, before anyone has even begun to campaign against him. Doesn't sound promising, especially in light of all the pretty disturbing gaffes he keeps making on the trail, none of which have gotten the Rev. Wright treatment.

(Yep, I did say Democratic nominee.)

casualobserver

Or, we could just flip that argument on its face and rebut with

John McCain, who has been burdened with the George Bush legacy (the most unpopular President ever), who is considered by many to be too old to even walk, who is reviled by the Left for his uncompromising commitment to not leave Iraq tomorrow, who carries the almost unique burden of trying to be elected to a third term of the same party.........is actually managing to stay within 20 points of the Democratic Saviors? What, he is six points ahead??!!

I don't know what this exactly means except for the fact that it undeniably demonstrates that what is said on TMV counts for diddly-squat.

moblou

Obama is Wright for America? Wrong!!! Go Hillary, rise, rise, rise and leave him in his tracks, Wright-Rezco-Ayres for starters? Go IN and NC bring Hillary on to the rest of "US". Mary in KY

moblou

Obama is truly showing himself for the empty suit that he is after this Wright thing. He doesn't care a thing about promoting anybody but himself and his ability to be elected in November is seriously questionable. If he really cares about our party he would resign. He has far too many questionable relationships and we really don't know the half of it yet. We need Hillary Clinton because we know her for all of her flaws and perfections. We can still save the nominating process and the Democratic Party, if we do the right thing in the primaries left to come. IN and NC please don’t let the rest of America down. Decisive wins for Hillary in all remaining primaries will put Obama back in his rightful place- a rookie senator lacking the experience to run our country in these most troubling times. We can still do this and I know the rest of "US" are counting on you. Bring Hillary on to the rest of “US”!!! Thank you, Mary from KY.

alecki

Senator Obama should step aside.
He has too many negatives attached to him:
Reverend Wright
Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago support of Louis Farrakhan
William Ayers who he worked with that bombed the Pentagon
Anton Rezko: Another man that supports Obama that is a criminal on trial in Chicago
Elitist Attitude: People cling to guns and religion because they don't like our government. People dislike people if they are imigrants because of how our government is treated
Michelle Obama: Elitist attitude This is the first time I was proud of our country
Black Theology: Similar to Marxism 10 point black value system from his church in Chicago
No flag pin: What's the big deal. He is stubborn NOT to wear one. That's the big deal. Why is it a big deal to him if Americans want him to wear one.
No experience.
Even his name: Barack Hussein Obama
Deception: Not telling voters that he had all of these problems when he first began running for President
What did he think he was doing? Singing for American Idol?
McCain will not let one of these issues go. He is not electable.
Many people in my community have been infuriated with him. Now that they see what and who he represents, they would have voted differently.

Too many negatives. Next time Obama.

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