Never under estimate WOMAN POWER
McCain leads Obama by 4 pts
Mr McCain got a significant boost from the selection of Alaska Gov Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. -- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
WASHINGTON - REPUBLICAN candidate John McCain goes into the final stretch of the US presidential campaign 4 percentage points ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released on Sunday.
Mr McCain's 4-point lead was his biggest since January and a turnaround from a USA Today poll taken just before last week's Republican Party convention opened, when he trailed Mr Obama by 7 percentage points.
The new poll, taken on Friday through Sunday, showed Mr McCain leading Mr Obama by 50 per cent to 46 per cent among registered voters with less than two months before the Nov 4 election.
USA Today said Mr McCain, a veteran Arizona senator, got a significant boost from the Republican convention and the selection of Alaska Gov Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.
Mr McCain also narrowed Mr Obama's wide advantage on handling the economy, the top issue in the campaign, USA Today said.
On the question of managing the economy, Mr Obama, a first-term Illinois senator, was favoured by 19 points before the Republican convention but now was favoured by 3 points, USA Today said.
The poll of 1,022 adults, including 959 registered voters, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. -- REUTERS