Wednesday, October 22, 2008

A glimmer of hope for GOP? (politico)

A glimmer of hope for GOP?

It’s not that the tide of the race is turning. But for Republicans anxiously scanning the headlines for any sign of promising news, a few encouraging tidbits turned up Wednesday — signs that recent rumors of the McCain campaign’s demise have been premature.

Most heartening for conservatives will likely be a new Associated Press poll, conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, which showed the presidential race as a one-point contest. According to this survey, Obama leads McCain among likely voters nationwide by just 44 percent to 43 percent.

That showing represents a six-point improvement for McCain since AP-GfK’s last poll, which had Obama ahead of McCain by seven points, 48 percent to 41 percent.

Perhaps even more encouraging to Republicans are two new surveys conducted by the highly respected Mason-Dixon polling firm, in the key states of Florida and Virginia, which show McCain well within striking distance in both battlegrounds.

In Florida, Mason-Dixon shows Obama’s numbers slipping ever so slightly while McCain holds steady — and now leads the Democrat, 46 percent to 45 percent. Last month Obama held a two-point lead over McCain in Florida, 48 percent to 46 percent.

In Virginia, a state that political analysts including former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove have tagged as a probable win for Obama, the Democrat is on top by two percentage points, 47 percent to 45 percent.

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