A new poll finds Democrat Barack Obama holding a substantial lead over
Republican John McCain, as the two candidates campaign down to the wire Monday.
The final pre-election poll from Quinnipiac University shows Obama with a
10-point lead over McCain. Obama leads 52 percent to 42 percent, the poll
found, compared to last week's poll, which showed Obama with a slightly larger
lead of 11 points, with 53 percent to McCain's 41 percent.
Obama also leads McCain in Ohio by seven percentage points, 50 percent to 43
percent. The other swing state in Quinnipiac's poll, Florida, is still too
close to call, the poll found.
The poll surveyed likely voters between Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.
Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling
Institute, predicted Obama supporters would outnumber McCain supporters in
Tuesday's poll.
“Gov. Ed Rendell will bring out all the king’s horses and all the king’s men
and women to insure a huge turnout that will provide not only an Obama victory,
but maybe a job for the term-limited governor in Washington next year,”
Richards said in a statement.
If Pennsylvania voters needed more proof that the Keystone State is crucial to
winning the presidential election Tuesday, consider the politicians crossing
the state Monday during the final hours of the 2008 campaign.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden scheduled his last campaign
stop of the election Monday morning in Philadelphia with the World Series
champion Phillies. McCain will attend a rally in Moon Township Monday
afternoon, at Atlantic Aviation Services. Even Hillary Clinton, no longer a
candidate, was stumping for onetime rival Obama in Mt. Lebanon on Monday
morning. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will campaign for Obama in
Erie.
Pennsylvania, with its 21 electoral votes is considered a must-win state for
the candidates. Hamden, Conn.-based Quinnipiac notes that no one has been
elected to the presidency since 1960 without taking two of these three largest
swing states in the Electoral College.
Polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m.