McCain Now Leads Obama

Having noted earlier the most useless poll of the day, we now present a meaningful poll, and it's more bad news for The Messiah.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows the race for the White House is tied with Barack Obama and John McCain each attracting 44% of the vote. However, when "leaners" are included, it’s McCain 47% and Obama 46%.

This is the first time McCain has enjoyed even a statistically insignificant advantage of any sort since Obama clinched the Democratic nomination on June 3.

A week ago today, Obama had a three-percentage point lead and the candidates were even among unaffiliated voters. Today, McCain leads 52% to 37% among unaffiliateds.

McCain is currently viewed favorably by 55% of the nation’s voters, Obama by 51%. That is the lowest rating for Obama since he wrapped up the nomination. Obama is viewed favorably by 83% of Democrats, 22% of Republicans, and 47% of unaffiliated voters. For McCain, the numbers are 87% favorable among Republicans, 26% among Democrats, and 61% among unaffiliated voters.

That McCain has a much stronger favorable rating among unaffiliated voters certainly helps. It seems to me any bounce Obama received after his world tour dissipated quickly and I suspect much of that has to do with voters being turned off by the fawning coverage devoted to it.

His precipitous decline this past week likely reflects some of the McCain ads spoofing Obama as well as Obama repeatedly playing the race card, a bad strategy considering McCain hasn't even remotely gone near anything racial.

While the media wants to portray McCain as having gone negative, I surmise now they're praying Obama goes negative in order to stop his rapid decline.

Instapundit links. Thanks!