Gallup Poll Suggests Small Drop in Obama’s Support

Susan Davis reports on the presidential race. Two days after the Pew Research Center declared the presidential race a dead heat between John McCain and Barack Obama , a new Gallup poll mirrors those results, with each candidate pulling 44%. The poll of 2,690 registered voters, conducted Aug. 12-14 with a 2% margin of error, suggests a slight drop in support of Obama, who’s polling in August has ranged between 46%-48% in Gallup surveys. Meanwhile, McCain has averaged 43% in August. “Thus, the closer margin seen in today’s results is due more to movement away from Obama than toward McCain,” Gallup states. 12% of registered voters remain undecided or are supporting a third party candidate. Both polls underscore a tightening race. Gallup estimates that Obama’s absence from the campaign trail this week while he vacations with family in Hawaii could account for the dip. However, the polling outfit notes that the numbers are likely to be affected by the imminent announcements of ... (link)