Daily Tracking Poll: Obama Holds the Line on Taxes; McCain Better in Base, Not Center
Obama Leads McCain 52-45 in Latest ABC News/Washington Post Poll
Economy Still Top Issue as Presidential Campaign Nears Election Day
On issues, the economy still dominates.
An overwhelming 54 percent call it the single most important issue in their vote, inching to a new high in ABC/Post tracking since Oct. 19.
Obama leads McCain among economy voters by 58-39 percent, a big lead albeit Obama's smallest margin in this group in the past month.
Separately, consumer confidence, as measured in the ongoing ABC News Consumer Comfort Index, is 2 points from its record low in 22 years of weekly polling -- precisely where it was immediately preceding the economy-driven 1992 election.
The single biggest change in trust to handle the economy, as noted in yesterday's tracking report, is among movable voters, the 11 percent who haven't definitely made up their minds -- from a 29-point advantage on the economy for Obama last week to a 7-point McCain edge this week.
Nonetheless movables split, 37-34 percent McCain-Obama, with the rest undecided.
Changes in trust on the economy also have occurred disproportionately in some of McCain's core support groups, reflecting a return to the fold.
Last week conservatives preferred McCain on the economy by a 40-point margin; now it's 61 points; evangelical white Protestants preferred him on the economy by 46 points, compared with 65 points now.
On trust to handle a crisis, the sharpest changes since the Republican convention -- toward McCain, then away, then back -- have been among women, especially white women and married women, two potential swing voter groups.
In vote preference, McCain's inched above 50 percent among suburban likely voters, but slipped to a dead heat in rural areas -- while still losing urbanites to Obama by nearly 2-1.
McCain leads by 8 points among whites, a bit below the average 13-point advantage for Republican presidential candidates in exit polls since 1976.
Obama makes it up among nonwhites, including more than 90 percent support from blacks and 68 percent among Hispanics.
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