POLLS: Obama +9 in CO, Obama +16 in MI, Obama +17 in WI, Obama +11 in MN

[jefferson_dem]

:bounce:

Obama Widens Lead in Four Key States
Economy Remains Top Voter Concern

By Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 14, 2008; 6:17 AM

Barack Obama widened his lead considerably over John McCain in four key battleground states during the past three weeks, providing further evidence that the economic crisis has greatly enhanced the Democrat's advantage with just 21 days left before Election Day.

Obama holds double-digit margins over McCain in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin and carries a nine-point advantage over his Republican rival in Colorado, according to polling conducted by Quinnipiac University for washingtonpost.com and the Wall Street Journal.

Obama's ascendancy in these key states mirrors his growing lead in national polling. The latest Washington Post/ABC News survey put Obama at 53 percent to McCain's 43 percent, while the daily Gallup tracking poll showed Obama holding a similar lead of 51 percent to 41 percent on Monday.

The latest polling confirms that the financial crisis and stock market crash that has gripped Wall Street and Washington over the past month has increased the importance of economic matters to voters -- particularly in the industrial Midwest -- and accrued almost exclusively to Obama's benefit.

In Michigan, more than six in ten voters said the economy was the "single most important issue" in deciding their vote. Among likely voters, Obama increased his lead over McCain from a four-point edge in a late September Quinnipiac poll to a whopping 16-point lead in the most recent survey.

Obama's 54 percent to 38 percent lead in Michigan helps to explain why McCain decided to pull down his ads and pull out the majority of his campaign staff from the Wolverine State last week -- choosing to fight, instead, in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Maine.

The data was similar in Wisconsin and Minnesota where Obama gained 10 points and nine points, respectively, in his margin over McCain since the September Quinnipiac poll; the Illinois senator led McCain in Wisconsin 54 percent to 37 percent, and held a 51 percent to 40 percent edge in Minnesota.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/14/AR2008101400524_pf.html

[my3boyz]

1. OMG................McCain is TOAST! nt

[4lbs]

2. Wow! Getting close to double-digit leads in quite a few "battlegrounds" !

:wow:



Wait until the freepers hear about this new information. Their reactions will be :argh:



Still though, it's best to campaign and act like the race is a dead heat.

[zeemike]

3. Boy will that make it hard to steal.

:toast:

[democrattotheend]

4. Damn, you beat me to it

I was just about to post those!

[tedoll78]

5. Colorado is The Failsafe at this point.

And it's holding-up beautifully.

Even if the race were to narrow dramatically, the CO/IA/NM route still looks strong. :)

[Schulzz]

6. The polls are getting better every day. And don't forget, if we win CO it's over.

McCain will not win a Kerry state, even if the polls tighten by 3-4 points.

[workinclasszero]

7. WooHoo!

Awesome! Are American workers FINALLY wakin up?? Its really lookin good!

GOBAMA!!!

[GeneCosta]

8. Electoral-vote projects 357/181 sweep

for Obama. He's ahead in 27 states (+ DC), and now contesting Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Montana, and Mississippi. With the exception of 3 or 4 states, it's a 10 point split.