Obama Has the Edge After First Debate

Posted on Sep 29, 2008

AP Photo / Alex Brandon

Even though the American mainstream media pronounced Friday’s presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain a draw, the UK’s Guardian newspaper tallied up some poll results and found that Obama has gained an edge over McCain as the candidates head into their final month of campaigning.

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The Guardian:

Barack Obama is opening a clear lead over John McCain after polls at the weekend showed the public overwhelmingly awarding Friday night’s presidential debate to the Democratic candidate.

[...] With five weeks until the presidential election, Obama appears to have broken the impasse that had seen the two in a dead heat in polls over the past month.

A USA Today poll, published yesterday [Monday], showed 45% of those questioned felt Obama had done better in the debate than McCain, who registered 34%. The public view is at odds with the media, which overwhelmingly judged it to be a draw.

Other polls, including the Rasmussen tracking poll, showed voters drifting towards Obama. The Rasmussen poll put Obama on 50% and McCain on 44%, which would give the Democratic candidate a landslide victory.

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