Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican presidential nominee John McCain in battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, according to new polls.

Obama, an Illinois senator, leads 49 percent to 42 percent among Ohio voters, according to a Columbus Dispatch poll of 2,262 likely voters released yesterday.

The survey, conducted Sept. 24 to Oct. 3, shows a change from a poll by the newspaper before the parties' nominating conventions, when McCain had a single percentage-point advantage. The state is crucial to the Arizona senator's campaign, because no Republican has won the presidency without carrying Ohio.

Polls in Ohio ``are showing increased support for Barack Obama,'' because voters are paying attention to McCain's support for privatizing Social Security, backing ``job-killing trade agreements,'' and his backing of deregulation of the banking system, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said on ABC's ``This Week'' program yesterday.

A Minnesota poll of 1,084 likely voters published by the Star Tribune newspaper shows Obama leading 55-37 percent over McCain. The poll was conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.

Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota said the Star Tribune poll is ``notoriously not accurate,'' and said a separate earlier poll found McCain favored by 1 percentage point.

``Minnesota is a Democrat-leaning state, but not so much that it's implausible for a Republican to win here,'' Pawlenty said on ``This Week.''

Pennsylvania Poll

In Pennsylvania, Obama has a 50 percent to 40 percent lead over McCain, according to a Morning Call/Muhlenberg College tracking poll.

The Muhlenberg College poll surveyed 597 likely voters and was conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3. The results of the three state polls were outside the margin for error.

The presidential race in Colorado remains a tie, according to a poll released by the Denver Post yesterday.

National polls also show that Obama is maintaining a lead over McCain.

Obama led McCain 49 percent to 42 percent among registered voters surveyed Sept. 27-29 by the Pew Research Center. In a mid- September poll, the candidates were in a statistical dead heat.

In a CBS News poll conducted Sept. 27-30, Obama led 50 percent to 41 percent among likely voters. The margin increased 4 percentage points from a CBS/New York Times survey a week earlier.

Obama Leading McCain in New Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota Polls - Yahoo! News

1) Obviously, there is a LOT of time until the election yet.
Kerry had a decisive lead above Bush, but then Kerry pissed it away.
The landscape could be different three weeks from now...

2) I can't help but look at this and think "DUH!!!"
McCain is running around stepping up the negative attacks against Obama.
People ALL OVER THE COUNTRY want to hear about the economy, but McCain is cutting-and-running from that issue, and hoping that RECYCLING old negative attack junk will somehow help.
Just because McCain makes some stupid attacks against Obama doesn't mean that McCain will help this country economically.
McCain is perceived as less likely to help economically, and HE IS PROVING THAT TRUE by refusing to challenge Obama's perceived higher capability on that issue.

I think McCain is in a downward spiral.
I think on some level, his proponents know it.
Even THEY DO NOT LOOK TO HIM FOR HELP on the economy. I think his proponents just want to ride it out...

The press is winning...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Ahh yes. Silly me.
Instead of the Democrats whining about a "stolen election", the Republicans will whine that it's the fault of the press that they lost...

Perhaps you guys can hire Sharpton's people to help explain the art of blaming others for your own deficiencies?

Sargeant Schultz!!!...

I never thought I'd see you again!...

__________________
"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Florida is the big mystery for me. I think it's incredible the Republicans have to campaign so hard there. I hope the tie breaker is not Florida again (please, Lord), but the outcome will be interesting.
Also there is a factor all the pundits have been talking about where likely voters didn't want to say they won't be voting for a Black candidate. So we shall see on November 4th who our President will be.
God bless him and give him ultimate wisdom and heart!

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