NBC/WSJ Poll: Obama Widens Lead 49-43

by DemFromCT [courtesy of Daily Kos]

Media polls influence narrative. We need to pay attention to the CNN poll (Obama 53-45), the trackers... all the polls. But this, along with ABC/WaPo, CBS/NY Times, Pew and Gallup, is one of the most influential of the national polls.

NBC/WSJ Poll  

Obama   49 (48)
McCain  43 (46)

Other points of interest... remember we told you that the polls said Obama and Biden won their respective debates? The NBC/WSJ poll agrees.

By a 21 point margin, 50%-29%, voters said the Democrats had the debate edge over rival Republican running mates John McCain and Sarah Palin, while 10% of respondents said the two tickets were equally as good and 4% said neither was good.

OTOH, racism is alive and well:

And cautionary notes remain for Sen. Obama. The poll suggests that the first African-American to win a major party nomination could be vulnerable to race-based attacks tying him to unpopular black figures such as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor and Al Sharpton, an outspoken and controversial figure.

Thirty-five percent of all voters -- and 40% of white voters -- said those connections bother them. This is absent any candidate or party pressing hard on those themes, something Republicans have hinted they may start to raise more aggressively in the campaign's closing days.

Also of note:

Independent voters are among the most important voting blocks because many of them would consider voting for either candidate. In the last WSJ/NBC poll two weeks ago, independents favored Sen. McCain by 13 points. The new survey finds Sen. Obama leading by four points.

And Sen. McCain's support in rural areas and small towns, where he led by 21 points after his convention, has steadily dropped and he now has just a three-point edge.

Remember to factor in your standing... it's not easy for Sarah Palin to attack when you are 41-50 not qualified to serve. Biden's "qualified" is 74-18, including 62% of McCain voters. That's what the debates taught the American voters.

More to come when the full poll is published.