Reuters/Zogby poll captures shift in US voter mood against Obama

The Reuters/Zogby poll on August 20 showing John McCain notching up a five-point lead over Barack Obama in the race for the White House drew attention across the globe and signalled to investors once and for all that a Democrat victory was not a safe bet. It was the first time McCain had taken the lead in the poll, and it reversed a seven-point advantage for Obama in July. The story fronted the Toronto Globe and made The Economist, which cited the poll also for showing McCain ahead by nine points on who would be the best manager of the economy despite McCain’s own admission of weakness in that area and America’s economic troubles under Republican President Bush. CNN presenter Lou Dobbs led his newscast with the poll and National Public Radio in the United States also cited it. Our polling also showed Americans remain deeply worried about a faltering economy and their own financial futures, but their outlook improved slightly over the previous month.The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures the mood of the country, climbed to 91.9 from 88.7 in July as six of the 10 measures of public opinion used in the index rose.