Obama up 2 in NBC/WSJ poll

Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:08 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
According to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Obama leads McCain, 48-46 percent, which is virtually unchanged from our poll released after the political conventions, when Obama was ahead by one point, 47-46 percent.

This two-point Obama lead is a much different result than what we saw in another recent poll, which had the Illinois Democrat up by a larger margin. The McCain campaign argued today that Democratic respondents outweighed Republican ones by 16 points in that poll’s sample. By comparison, the NBC/Journal poll has Democrats leading in party identification by just seven points.

Note: The 6:30 pm ET release for the poll was moved up due to today's news on the campaign trail. We'll have more on the poll shortly on MSNBC.com.

*** UPDATE *** Per Cillizza, the Washington Post's polling director responds "that the actual party ID numbers among likely voters had Democrats plus six points. It was only when people who offer no original party ID were asked whether they leaned one direction or the other that the number jumped to Democrats +16."

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Comments

2 points...right...

lol

Tom Reid, wilkes-barre, PA (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:14 PM)

Presidential Candidate Obama looked and sounded oh so presidential and reassuring at his news conference today as he took questions from reporters. The contrast between him and runaway McCain could not have been more CLEAR!!!

Libratine (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:18 PM)

You should ALSO have noted that the newly
released Fox News Poll has Obama up 6, so it appears that NBC's is inconsistent.

Dawn of VA (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:20 PM)

Not only will Obama have to spend valuable time raising money instead of campaigning this fall, but with his poll numbers going nowhere, what assurances does he have that his donors are willing to throw good money after bad?

In the meantime, he is spending cash and resources as if there is no tomorrow (maybe there isn't). like sending paid workers from Georgia to North Carolina, where McCain-Palin is ahead by 15-20 points!

Great decisions by someone who claims running his campaign is his best executive experience.

The Truth (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:21 PM)

OMG, the hallucinogen must still be in effect. Just when I was getting my hopes up and giving the voters some credit for seeing the light after EIGHT long years of hell! Wake up, middle class America, we need an intelligent, diplomatic president who will advocate for you, not Bill Gates and Donal Trump.

Cindi in Louisiana (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:21 PM)

First read, sounds like you can't stand it if Obama takes the lead. What? afraid you can't spin the McPalin ticket or better yet shove them down our throat!

Free Palin, make her interview for VP (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:22 PM)

I usually never question the WSJ, however this time I think I have to.... The balance of the polls do not show the same things ??

Better check again.... Something went terribly wrong or you have one to many Oil people on staff...

Chris (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:22 PM)

Amazing how this poll comes out in conjunction w/ the WashPost/ABC poll showing 9 points - and McBush suddenly needs to postpone the debate. Temperament indeed, Mr. Will.

Charles STL, MO (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:22 PM)

Chuck Todd says the legislation on the bailout is dead in the water...Bush and others on the Hill say it isn't. MCain is pulling a fast one to interject MORE partisan politics into this "Crisis".
Get out of the way McCain and stop grandstanding....learn to multi-task...it's a 21st century concept.
Hatch..."McCain is willing to risk an election"...yeah, right!
Yesterday he wouldn't commit to going back to Washington...flip and flop, flip and flop, which way is the wind blowing?

Jen,MI (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:23 PM)

Roller coaster ride. Will McCain come back for the debate now????

come back little cainy (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:23 PM)

"The McCain campaign argued today that Democratic respondents outweighed Republican ones by 16 points in that poll’s sample." LOL...

When the polls look good for McCain they're right and when they look good for Obama they're wrong? GIVE ME A BREAK!!!

Even FOX -- who have been known to lie for their guy -- has him up by 6 points!

!@#$%^!

kathy, charlotte nc (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:24 PM)

Love the 'multi-task' statement from Obama. HA! Poor old McLeft in the Dust, can't do two things at once; begging to be in the real decision making going on in Congress even though he's been MIA since early April and even he admits he doesn't know a lot about the economy. McCain is slipping away into the pit where ill tempered, unprepared OLD Senators go when it's clear they've missed their chance at the big job. What a laugh of a candidate and what a risk to this country to have McCain as President. I shudder at the thought.

Debra, Austin, Tx. (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:25 PM)

You know I love you guys, but I wonder what you will do with the big Enquirer story at your supermarket checkout stands everywhere?

This makes little Miss Jesus look a little... well, exposed.

Part of the McCain turmoil...

...better suspend the campaign before the campaign suspends them...

Wow!

Mark Thieme (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:25 PM)

Perhaps the pollsters couln't find anyone willing to admit to being a Republican. Landslide anyone?

Ian (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:25 PM)

McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis has been 'OUTTED' as a 'mole' for Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac

McCain wants to 'suspend' discussion of THAT

The media has finally discovered that Sarah Palin is 'hermetically sealed' from questioning

McCain wants to 'suspend' discussion of THAT

Coutnry First ???

DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH !
McCain's 'house of crds' is collasping !!

(about TIME)

MSierr,a SF (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:25 PM)

McCain needs to debate. He shouldn't have run in front of the camera's trying to act like he had some grand idea. In 40 days I am going to have a new leader of the country in which I live. I want to see this debate and all the other scheduled debates.

bchandra (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:26 PM)

Up 2? How about call on McC to debate the economy on Saturday from 10 am to noon - if we're going to negotiate something, let's let American know what our positions are b/4 we start?

Jeff in Wichita (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:26 PM)

I wonder if McCain will remember where his seat is in the senate.

Bill Carlsbad Ca.

Bill McQuain (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:27 PM)

The sample had only 11% African Americans, and 6% hispanics. Both numbers seem low to me! Especially the hispanice number. I'm inclined to believe Barack is ahead by around 6% or so

Steve Jensen (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:28 PM)

Warren Buffet said today that this rescue needed to be done by Monday. He called it a financial Pearl Harbor. Another major bank is apparently on the brink of going under if this legislation is not passed. He does not cry wolf. This is a real crisis for everybody.

I just heard a cut of BO telling Harry Reid "If you need me call me". That's leadership?

Can you imagine during Katrina if Bush had said this when he was ignoring the disaster.

Alan, NJ (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:31 PM)

Also, the cross-tabs would indicate this poll overrepresents Republicans in that of those polled who voted in the 2004 election 42% voted for Bush and 37% voted for Kerry. I think this poll VASTLY undersamples dems and dem-leaners.

It is probably an outlier

Erisacrat (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:32 PM)

to "the truth" Obama has ran the best campaign in American history-check your facts prior to making unclear statements

Sophia Laramie (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:34 PM)

The debate should be postponed.

John McCain looks like a President today. Barack Obama does not.

In his announcement to temporarily suspend his Presidential campaign to return to Washington D.C. to work toward a bipartisan solution to the nation's economic situation, Sen. McCain is demonstrating what real leadership is.

John McCain is putting our country first and politics second. It's the right thing to do.

Sen. Barack Obama should follow Sen. McCain's lead

visit

RealDemocratsUSA.org

Taking back our party, one neighborhood at a time

Join us!!

j (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:35 PM)

Not only will Obama have to spend valuable time raising money instead of campaigning this fall

The Truth

****

You...really have no concept of how Obama has been raising money, do you. How do you get along being so dense.

DV, CA (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:36 PM)

The polls keep getting better and better for Obama and Coventional Wisdom says that the candidate ahead in the polls after the convention bounces settle down will win in November. Let the debates begin Friday as Obama is fired up and ready to go and so are we. Bring on the old debate dodger who wants to hide in Washington so he can nap out in the Senate.

Let Wall Street pull itself up on it's own Bootstraps!

Go Obama/Biden 08/12!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:36 PM)

Are there honestly that many BHRs. Bone Head Republican'ts

Republican't Get it Right (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:36 PM)

Chris Matthews already said the NBC poll was behind considering that Fox and Diego has Obama up by 6. The abc poll has Obama up by 9. The NBC poll is slightly inaccurate.

voter (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:38 PM)

McCain wants to hide his connections to this financial crisis.

Why is it that the Republicans want people to know less and vote less? Because they represent a small minority of special interests. Because they don't want the actual tally of Americans' voices to be heard.

Now that the financial climate is here and the novelty of his running mate has waned, McCain wants to hide in the closet next to Palin.

Bipartisanship is code for duck and cover.

Drew Merchant (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:38 PM)

John McSame wants to cancel the debate because the crisis is oh so much a part of his and the republicans doing, I would want to cancel the debate too, if all my lies and hypocrisy were going to be exposed, much easier to have a photo shoot in DC trying to look in charge, what a joke this man is.....except he is pathetic instead of funny.

Robert Miller (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:39 PM)

Will McCain still have to pay his makeup artist $5,500 if he doesn't show up?

Silly, silly, man (yelling at clouds)

Lyn, KCMO (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:39 PM)

Chris wrote: "I usually never question the WSJ, however this time I think I have to.... Something went terribly wrong or you have one to many Oil people on staff... "

Yo, Chris, WAKE UP! Rupert Murdoch owns WSJ now, remember? You expect objectivity? balance? truth? surely you jest...

Run, McCan't, RUN! But don't look back -- we're gaining on ya!

Crazy in Alabama (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:40 PM)

the truth...

not sure what polls you're gawking at... Obama is close in NC, and ahead in every other swing state that McClown is trying to grapple away. The other thing is this... the closer the race the more people tend to give Obama... just ask Hillary and McClown last month. By the way... we all know he got 10 Million the first week of the month in one night. He then got another 9 Million during the fundraiser in California...

It's going to be another 55-60M dollar month... count on it.

just the facts (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:41 PM)

Anyone but Mr Kenyan-born...PLEASE!!!

David Fisher Jamestown, ND (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:41 PM)

McShame should suspend his campaign FOR GOOD! That would really be putting country first!

Anonymous (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:44 PM)

Where do you find these people? 46% of the people want more of the same? I think these numbers are not a true representation of the public. I think it's smkoe and mirrors asa this is the only way McCain can stay in the race make everyone think he is in it.

Marcus J Glendale, AZ (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:44 PM)

I say obama all the way i mean look how old jim is he only has maybe 2 good years left obama is the best choice no matter what anybody has to say that's why as soon as i turned 19 i went and got my vote on OBAMA I LOVE U

WHITNEY SWEENEY, VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:45 PM)

This is not a two point race. Numerous national polls, including trackers show Obama's lead to be bigger, but more importantly, he's starting to pull away a little bit state polls for places like Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan etc. It will be very interesting to see if there's any movement whatsoever in the trackers tomorrow. Even the daily polls take several days to catch up with actual events and developments in the race.

jbentley, Chicago, IL (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:46 PM)

There were reports from polls yesterday that Obama is up by 9 points. So whose poll is accurate?

Marcus J, Glendale, AZ (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:46 PM)

National polls are all over the place. Only state polls are relevant.

George Chell, Arlington, VA (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:47 PM)

To think that I used to like McCain. I even voted for him in the 2000 Michigan primary. That was before he turned into McBush. What on earth ever happened to this guy? It's like he's from another planet or something. His time has come and gone, and if the decisions he's making right now are any indication of how he will lead our country, he's more out to lunch than I surmised. Give it up, McBush, and take your bimbo running mate with you...

bill, adrian, MI (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:47 PM)

Obama is not ready to lead anything--much less the U.S. Where is his bipartisan spirit to get the people's business done in a crisis? No, he'd rather follow the matrix of Saul alinsky and his socialist brothers.

rich smith, Seattle (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:47 PM)

It would appear that John McCain is more interested in saving our retirement accounts, our bank accounts and our mortgages and getting the country back on track than winning the election.

What a great leader! He just got my vote, which was not going to him until today. Please wake up, forget about the last eight years and Please remember that everything that is currently taking place in our economy has begun in the last two years.

Now think, whose been in charge of the legislature, inacting laws, policies and budgets for the past two years? One hint, it hasn't been the Republicans nor the President.

Get over yourselves if you think one man can enact change and take a hard look at what you have been supporting since '06.... I did, and I am depressed it took me this long to realize I was wrong!

Dave Pearson, RSM, CA (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:48 PM)

Obama & McCain need to stay away, they are just a distraction from getting this bailout done. Alan form NJ, Bush ignored Katrina, but at least he did't try to use it for politics.

McCain is desperate.

Ken Charest (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:48 PM)

With even the Republican owned Fox network showing Obama's lead now at 6, I am inclined to doubt the accuracy of the Wall Street Poll.

Ohio Indy (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:50 PM)

This just in! Someone has stolen McCain's brain!

ryan reno (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:50 PM)

John McCain what a great president he will be.Do you ever listen to obama he can't even put a sentence together.Go john go

Joyce fortworth tx (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:50 PM)

speaking of "shoving down our throats" that's exactly what the liberal press has tried to do with
their messiah obama. sorry i'm not impressed
McCain/Palin

km, baton rouge, la. (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:51 PM)

Its about time the two senators did there job. Thats what they are being paid to do not run for president

claudia betz blackfoot idaho (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:52 PM)

Where do you people get "40" days? I don't want Obama doing my budget. Do any of you historians know when we swear in a new President. Does January sound familiar. Still shooting for 40 days Obama? Not unless you plan on a coup!E

Warren (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:52 PM)

I cant stand democrats tactics anymore everyone please vote independent. these two characters barack and Mccain are a joke and all the people that support them are even worse.

Nelson (Sent Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:52 PM)

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