McCain Passes Obama for First Time in Gallup Tracking Poll

John McCain passed Barack Obama in the daily Gallup tracking poll Tuesday, suggesting the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has received no bounce after naming Joe Biden as his running mate. The three-day average poll, taken after the vice presidential announcement Saturday, shows McCain with 46 percent and Obama at 44 percent, within the margin of error. It’s the first time since Obama sealed the nomination in June that McCain has surpassed him in the polls numerically, if not statistically. The race for the president has been virtually tied for the last month. But an historical analysis by Gallup shows that the presidential candidates usually see a boost after the running mate announcements and then again after the conventions. The tie between Obama and McCain may be attributable to base support. The Gallup numbers show McCain receiving about 10 points more support from his Republican base than Obama is from his Democratic base. Click here to read the Gallup Daily Tracking ... (link)