Obama Cracks Open Lead on Economic Fears

Wall Street's worries are working in Barack Obama's favor, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. The candidate has opened up his first clear lead of the race against John McCain, 52% to 43%, with much of the boost coming from voters who see him as more capable of dealing with the economic woes facing the nation.

Only 14% of Americans think the country is currently heading in the right direction—the lowest proportion in 35 years. The survey also found the Sarah Palin phenomenon beginning to pale. Palin is still popular—52% of voters have a positive view of her—but her unfavorable rating has gone up 10 points to 38%. The drop in support was most pronounced among independent women voters.
(More opinion polls stories.)