WASHINGTON
The presidential race remains too close to call in Virginia, with Republican John McCain clinging to a statistically insignificant, three percentage point lead over Democrat Barack Obama, according to a poll taken for The Virginian-Pilot and other news organizations.
The Mason-Dixon Virginia Poll, drawn from interviews Monday through Wednesday with 625 registered voters, found 48 percent supported McCain, compared to 45 percent for Obama. Seven percent said they remain undecided.
The results are well within the poll’s four percentage point margin of error, indicating that the state’s 13 electoral votes are still up for grabs. A Mason-Dixon survey last week showed McCain ahead 47 percent to 44 percent.
The survey indicated that the nation’s shaky economy is Virginia voters’ top concern. Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed identified the economy and jobs as the “single most important national issue” in the election. The war in Iraq ranked second, at eight percent.
The Mason-Dixon results contrast with a flurry of other polls that found a surge in support for Obama nationwide and in the Old Dominion since last week’s nationally-televised debate between the two men.
A CNN/Time Magazine survey conducted Sunday-Tuesday gave Obama a nine percentage point edge in Virginia, for example, and a Fox News/Rasmussen Reports poll done on Sunday showed the Democrat up by three points statewide.
“Something’s happened in the last few days,” said J. Bradford Coker, Mason-Dixon’s managing director. His poll’s results indicate that the contest may be settling down now after the post-debate spike in Obama’s support, he said. Nightly national polls done by the Gallup organization showed Obama surging to an eight point lead right after the debate, he noted, but the Democrat’s lead had narrowed to four points by Wednesday.
Though the Mason-Dixon survey showed the race in Virginia unchanged by the debate, a plurality of Virginians agree Obama “performed better” in the face off. Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed said they watched the debate and of those, 38 percent judged Obama the victor; 29 percent gave an edge to McCain.
Regionally, the survey indicates McCain and Obama are running even in Hampton Roads, with McCain preferred by 47 percent and Obama by 46 percent.
McCain’s largest regional advantage is in the rural Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont, where he leads, 59-36. Obama’s biggest – and only – lead is in Northern Virginia, the state’s most populous area, where he is ahead, 57-37.
The poll also showed McCain the choice of male voters, 52-41, while Obama is preferred by women, 49-44. The gender gap has been part of political campaigns in Virginia and nationally since at least the early 1990s, surveys indicate.
Obama, seeking to make history as the first African-American president, leads McCain 92-2 among black voters; McCain is ahead among whites, 58-35.
While each candidate’s overall support appears steady, the poll found substantial increases in the number of voters who hold unfavorable opinions of McCain, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and Democratic vice presidential hopeful Joe Biden.
McCain’s unfavorable rating jumped five points, from 22 to 27 percent, in just one week, the survey found, while Palin’s increased by six points, to a total of 29 percent. Biden was rated negatively by 31 percent, up five points in a week.
Obama’s negative rating was down by one point, to 33 percent, but still was the highest among all the candidates.
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About Franklin Raines
"FRANKLIN RAINES? Raines works for the Obama Campaign as Chief Economic Advisor"
This is just a flat out lie. Big surprise that people are ready and willing to spread smear innuendo without doing any research.
Franklin Raines, former CEO of Fannie Mae, is being disingenuously connected to Obama in a McCain smear ad attempting to capitalize on the mortgage crisis and tie it to Obama. The ad intones, “Obama has no background in economics. Who advises him? The Post says it’s Franklin Raines, for ‘advice on mortgage and housing policy’. Shocking. Under Raines, Fannie Mae committed ‘extensive financial fraud.’ Raines made millions. Fannie Mae collapsed. Taxpayers? Stuck with the bill”.
The truth is somewhat less “shocking”. Raines has said “I am not an adviser to Barack Obama, nor have I provided his campaign with advice on housing or economic matters.” The Obama campaign has stated it ha
i guess I should tell her
"Since you have said it, I'm sure you can offer proof. Please share that proof with all of us."
You, ches, am, and keith have offered the most evidence of this being true.
RE: liberal loons!
"Clearly, Liberalism is a mental disorder."
Since you have said it, I'm sure you can offer proof. Please share that proof with all of us.
Or did you just make a rash statement?
Liberal Loons!
Clearly, Liberalism is a mental disorder.
5 beers short of Joe's six pack
Palin made a total fool of herself last night. She started early in the debate, delcaring she would not answer some questions, and by golly, wink! wink!, tha's exactly what she did. Sorry Moose Mamma, but that is not how you win friends and influence people.
This comment awaiting staff approval
Coastalite stated, "The Democrats and their willing accomplices in the liberal Media (list removed for brevity)over the last eight years have declared an all out war on Republicans and Conservatives and have done their best to convince Americans that we are the living in a nightmare of a country that is hated all around the world. They spew their hatred for all things Bush and try to paint him as a dispicable failure and utter disaster." He then asked, "With all the relentless bashing, they are still only up by small margins in the polls. Why is that?"
I'd like someone to answer that without resorting to name calling or other childish innuendos. A simple, factual, concise answer would be most appreciated.
it doesn't matter
"Why are we not hearing more about Palin and her witch hunter pastor?"
You want to talk about this but not talk about Obama's advisor Raines who was appointed via his politcal connections and is now an adviser to Obama. Dodd, Obama, Schumer, and Frank ALL voted against McCain's bill even after he told them this:
“If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.”
These 4 were the top for recipients of donations from the accused. Why are some of you ignoring this? Do you want us to fail so you can lie to yourselves?
the left casts feces, too
noon, lest you think only the right indulges in puerile attacks... on another board, swisskid said, "Send her and her barf-making folksy little intelligence-insulting soundbites back to MooseBreath, Alaska and stay there." And then there's auryla's comment below. As I said, both sides are doing this stuff.
Witch hunters
Why are we not hearing more about Palin and her witch hunter pastor? I know it wont make a difference to many conservatives out there, but I've just been wondering we had to hear about Obama and his pastor, why isnt the fact that Palin is really even more stupid and ignorant than anyone could possible imagine (except the stupid people like her) being reported more, being reported at all?
Part II
FRANKLIN RAINES? Raines works for the Obama Campaign as Chief Economic Advisor Tim Howard - Was the Chief Financial Officer of Fannie Mae. Howard "was a strong internal proponent of using accounting strategies that would ensure a "stable pattern of earnings" at Fannie. In everyday English - he was cooking the books. The Government Investigation determined that, "Chief Financial Officer, Tim Howard, failed to provide adequate oversight to key control and reporting functions within Fannie Mae," TIM HOWARD? Howard is also a Chief Economic Advisor to Obama
On June 16, 2006, Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., asked the Justice Department to investigate his allegations that two former Fannie Mae executives lied to Congress in October 2004 when they denied manipulating the mortgage-finance giant's income statement to achieve management pay bonuses. Investigations by federal regulators and the company's board of directors since concluded that management did manipulate 1998 earnings to trigger bonuses. Raines and Howard resigned under pressure in late 2004.
Tonight we will
Take a quick look into 3 former Fannie Mae executives who have brought down Wall Street:
Franklin Raines was a Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Fannie Mae. Raines was forced to retire from his position with Fannie Mae when auditing discovered severe irregulaties in Fannie Mae's accounting activities. At the time of his departure The Wall Street Journal noted, " Raines, who long defended the company's accounting despite mounting evidence that it wasn't proper, issued a statement late Tuesday conceding that "mistakes were made" and saying he would assume responsibility as he had earlier promised. News reports indicate the company was under growing pressure from regulators to shake up its management in the wake of findings that the company's books ran afoul of generally accepted accounting principles for four years." Fannie Mae had to reduce its surplus by $9 billion.
I don't think spelling
I don't think spelling undercuts my holier than thou position one bit. In fact, I think it bolsters it, makes it seem more geniune, more like the kind of holier than thou position you'd like to have a beer with.
BTW, did you read Coastalite's post? I'd apologize but irrational talk deserves to be called out.
yes it does run amuck
On both sides of the political isle.
A few crumbs for the Hoi Polloi.
Argue about the two candidates all you like, but when there are important decisions to be made, they both drink the same Kool-Aid. Witness the abomination of a Wall Street bailout that was voted on by the Senate. I figured the Democrats would vote for it, since it smacks of the socialism that they hold so dear, but what happened to the Republicans? What happened to the Party of lower taxes and individual responsibility? Poof! Both Obama and McCain voted for this wrong-headed morass of pork and alchemy, which will encourage Wall Street to even more irresponsible behavior in the future. Forget $700 billion, folks, once this is rolling we'll be in for trillions! (Think CDS's).
The worst part: after a few days or weeks of blue blanket, thumb-sucking comfort, it will become painfully clear, even to the sheeple in both parties, that it was nothing more than a Paulson payback to his pals on Wall Street, with a few crumbs thrown in for the Hoi Polloi.
hypocrisy runs amok
noon, on another board today you wrote "The discourse from the right consists almost entirely of throwing feces everywhere. This has been the case for the past twelve years at least. You can see from all the name calling ... right leaning commentors tend to follow this ignoble tradition... America should not be soiled by slimey tactics and lowbrow attacks." Then you launch a low-brow attack on coastalife and your fellow liberal, Miss Dee, refers to Palin as Caribou Barbie. McSame and McPalin also find their way onto these boards with great regularity - both sides are guilty of such childishness.
Incidentally, as you attack conservatives for being intellectually inferior to you you might want to invest in a dictionary. "Commenter" has an 'e' as the penultimate letter while "slimy" does not. Your inability to spell two- and three-syllable words kind of undercuts your "smarter than thou" position.
Now it's too close to call??
An hour ago, they had NO-Bama crushing McCain in Virginia. What happened? I guess he couldn't register enough dogs, cats, dead people and domestic terrorists to vote. lol
Corection for and Omission by Ira Tateu
1. Raines is not and has never been an official Obama advisor. Obama and Raines have talked. Please see FactCheck.org
2. Conveniently left out the Phil Gramm's role in 1999 and 2000 in creating the unregulated lending industry that created the exotic instruments with insufficient capital reserves that caused this financial debacle.
Answers...
you put Caribou Barbie in there...I will...
Please Virginia, Don't Go Blue
Hi All,
I'm a concerned Virginian living out of state for the time being. I am writing to encourage all Republicans, Independents and even Democrats who are supporting MCCAIN to get fired up about this election. Virginia don't be swayed by Mr. Obama's speaking ability. He is promising you the world and has no way to pay for it. He wants to give billions of dollars to other countries. Can we really afford that right now? NO!. He is the most liberal Senator there is, don't be fooled by his speeches. Remember he thinks we "cling to our guns and religion". This should make you mad and spur you to get out there and vote, encourage your friends to vote and don't sit complacent while the liberals take over. We can't afford it. If you believe in small government, giving more power to the state, lower taxes, and a responsible handling of international affairs you need to vote for MCCAIN and you need to encourage others to do the same. You can go to www.johnmccain.com and volunteer to make phone calls for the MCCAIN campaign. It is easy, the numbers are listed and you just call and record your call. Its important. Virginia can't go Blue.
Sic Semper Tyrannis
A Concerned Virginia
Coastalite
Two questions for you my friend:
Are you transmitting from your bunker?
and
Have you got enough mac and cheese down there to wait out the apocalypse?