Two National Polls: Obama Up 9, 8

Independents, however, appear to be losing interest in the election altogether

(NEWSER) - A new AP/Yahoo poll shows a bounty of enthusiasm for Barack Obama and a deficit for John McCain, the Boston Globe reports. Some key stats:

• 38% of the Democrat’s supporters are excited by the election, while only 9% of the Republican's are.
• Among Obama supporters, 16% say they could still change their pick, while 24% of McCain-backers say so.

Latest poll shows record pessimism but also enthusiasm among Americans

(NEWSER) - Americans are more depressed than ever about the state of the nation and unsure whether its fate can be redirected by a new president—but they’re still breaking voting records before Election Day has even arrived. Early voting is up 50% from 2004 according to polls, and two-thirds of the public say they’re more enthusiastic than usual about voting, reports USA Today. More»

Fraction under mistaken impression much greater than 5-10% nationally: poll

(NEWSER) - Nearly a quarter of Texas voters still believe Barack Obama is a Muslim, the Houston Chronicle reports. Polling shows 23% of registered voters there buy internet-fueled rumors the Democrat is hiding his Islamic faith—compared to just 5-10% of voters nationwide. The same poll gives John McCain a comfortable lead over Obama, at 51%- 40%. More»

Don't let the polls dictate your vote, writes Bush's brain

(NEWSER) - With the explosion of polls in this presidential election—almost as many national polls this month as there were during all of 2004—there's a real risk that polls themselves will drive behavior in the voting booth, Karl Rove writes in the Wall Street Journal, urging voters not to let the numbers affect their choice. "It is much easier for journalists to devote the limited space in their papers or on TV to the horse-race aspect of the election rather than its substance," he notes, and in the last week, candidates offer little new substance. More»

But new Reuters poll finds lead shrinking as McCain hammers on economy

(NEWSER) - As John McCain's campaign appears to be foundering, Barack Obama's lead continues to grow, reports Bloomberg. The Democratic candidate was up 8 points over McCain in an average of 16 polls released during the last week. The previous week, Obama was up about 6 points. A single new poll released today, however, found the Democrat's lead shrinking to 5 points. More»