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Newest Gallup Poll shows McCain insignificantly ahead
The Volokh Conspiracy ^ | July 28, 2008 | Jim Lindgren

Posted on 07/28/2008 6:09:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Yesterday the Gallup Tracking Poll showed Obama ahead by 9 points (49-40). Earlier today (Monday) that dropped to Obama ahead by 8 points (48-40). Both were of registered voters.

Now Gallup/USA Today released a new poll of LIKELY voters, showing a 4 point lead for McCain, his first lead in any major poll since early May.

The switch from registered to likely voters explains most of the difference.

Yet this jumping around does not inspire confidence in Gallup:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain moved from being behind by 6 points among "likely" voters a month ago to a 4-point lead over Democrat Barack Obama among that group in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. McCain still trails slightly among the broader universe of "registered" voters. By both measures, the race is tight.

The Friday-Sunday poll, mostly conducted as Obama was returning from his much-publicized overseas trip and released just this hour, shows McCain now ahead 49%-45% among voters that Gallup believes are most likely to go to the polls in November. In late June, he was behind among likely voters, 50%-44%.

Among registered voters, McCain still trails Obama, but by less. He is behind by 3 percentage points in the new poll (47%-44%) vs. a 6-point disadvantage (48%-42%) in late June.

Results based on the survey of 791 likely voters have margins of error of +/- 4 percentage points — so McCain's lead is not outside that range. Results based on the survey of 900 registered voters also have margins of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

Gallup editor Frank Newport tells Jill that "registered voters are much more important at the moment," because Election Day is still 100 days away, but that the likely-voter result suggests that it may be possible for McCain to energize Republicans and turn them out this fall.

Note that Obama's lead among even registered voters has dropped precipitously from 9% to 8% to 3% in data from Gallup added to Real Clear Politics since midnight Sunday night. Indeed, both the 8% and the 3% results were for polls taken the same three days surveying apparently different samples of the same population, registered voters — strange but not surprising, given the low response rates for most public opinion polls these days.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; barackobama; election; electionpresident; elections; mccain; neverscrewthebase; obama; polls; poorpoorrinos
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Yet the drive-by media keeps telling us what a wonderful boost Senator Obama got from his "most excellent adventure" and how the world adores him, and on and on. Reminds me of 2004, when the left-wing English newspaper "The Guardian" ran a campaign to have their readers write to voters in Ohio on behalf of Senator John Kerry. The county they aimed at switched to President Bush that year! I see the same thing going on here. Never has a U.S. politician been so arrogant with so little to back it up!
1 posted on 07/28/2008 6:09:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Meanwhile, polls still show Kerry 17 points ahead of Bush...
2 posted on 07/28/2008 6:10:37 PM PDT by xcamel (Being on the wrong track means the unintended consequences express train doesnt kill you going by)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Nagourney: Why is Obama not improving in the polls?

GALLUP: OBAMA PULLS 8-POINT LEAD AFTER WORLD TOUR...

RASMUSSEN: OBAMA UP BY 3...

USATODAYGALLUP: MCCAIN UP 4 AMONG LIKELY VOTERS...

From Drudge.


3 posted on 07/28/2008 6:10:43 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“insignificantly ahead”

What a funny way to put it. Sort of like that old left-handed compliment; “You don’t sweat much for a fat girl.”


4 posted on 07/28/2008 6:10:51 PM PDT by EggsAckley ( "the difference between Obama and Osama is just a little b.s.")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

All these polls are manipulated. I put a +/-10% on all of them.


5 posted on 07/28/2008 6:11:09 PM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
A blow out for McCain in November. People see right through Barak the magic negro.
6 posted on 07/28/2008 6:12:30 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (I'm voting for McCain because he's white - credit Jeff Chandler)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

John McCain will be the next President of the United States.


7 posted on 07/28/2008 6:13:05 PM PDT by library user
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Let's hope McCain insignificantly wins!
8 posted on 07/28/2008 6:13:25 PM PDT by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.....)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

SOmebody should gently break the news to Newport and the author that Obama underperorms his poll numbers when folks go into the poll booth. Not looking good for Barack.


9 posted on 07/28/2008 6:13:51 PM PDT by jwalsh07 (Obama (Marxist), Manchuria)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I think we should have a election every day until November 5 and the candidate with the most cumulative votes would be the winner.

That way today's polls would have more significance.

Imagine how many votes there would be on November 5 if it were tight.

10 posted on 07/28/2008 6:14:11 PM PDT by Positive (Nothing is sadder than to see a beautiful theory murdered by a gang of brutal facts.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This is a weekend poll which usually trends left if I am not mistaken.


11 posted on 07/28/2008 6:14:54 PM PDT by MattinNJ (I can't sit this election out. Obama must be stopped.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’ll take it. But was the word “insignificantly” necessary?


12 posted on 07/28/2008 6:14:59 PM PDT by BunnySlippers
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Why are you looking at, much less posting about, polls?

At this point, they mean nothing. Carter beats Reagan. Dukakis beats Poppy. Gore beats Bush. Kerry beats Bush.

Foolishness. Nobody is paying attention to this yet, and nobody's opinions will matter until October 15, if then.

13 posted on 07/28/2008 6:15:16 PM PDT by Jim Noble (When He rolls up His sleeves, He ain't just puttin' on the Ritz)
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To: EggsAckley
...that old left-handed compliment; “You don’t sweat much for a fat girl.”

Oh, I like that. I'll have to remember it for a special in-law.

I was wondering, did you get "EggsAckley" from an R. Crumb comic strip character?

14 posted on 07/28/2008 6:16:28 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine (Is /sarc really necessary?)
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To: xcamel
Meanwhile, polls still show Kerry 17 points ahead of Bush...

And CBS News is calling Florida for AlGore...

15 posted on 07/28/2008 6:17:31 PM PDT by LikeLight (http://www.believersguidetolegalissues.com)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The difference is plain. When talking to people who are planning to and likely to vote...they get one answer. When they talk to just regsitered voters, many of which who will not vote, they get a different one...at least in their polling data.

The only one that counts is the great poll coming up in November.

CHOOSING THE NEXT PRESIDENT



NOBAMA MOVEMENT SPREADS ACROSS THE NATION

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA - CHANGE YOU CAN COUNT ON, BUT DON'T WANT

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

16 posted on 07/28/2008 6:17:55 PM PDT by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Its quite possible McCain had a real lead since May but people lied to pollsters or didn't bother to tell them who they preferred. That tended to make Obama more popular than he actually was and it also fit in with the MSM's template of Obama's election as "inevitable" in November.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

17 posted on 07/28/2008 6:19:10 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: EggsAckley
If it was a Democrat, they'd call that a "sizable lead". With a Republican, its always the other way around.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

18 posted on 07/28/2008 6:21:18 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

So Gallip found out when you poll Germany Obambi wins? I wonder why they did that ... LOL.

Obviously, someone had to draw the short straw for the Obambi bounce poll news.


19 posted on 07/28/2008 6:23:01 PM PDT by Tarpon (Ignorance, the most expensive commodity produced by mankind.)
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To: EggsAckley

When did you stop beating your wife?


20 posted on 07/28/2008 6:23:39 PM PDT by frankiep (Every socialist is a disguised dictator - Ludwig von Mises)
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