POLLWATCH:THE RACE for the White House is far from over, according to a number of polls yesterday which suggested Barack Obama and John McCain are now even, or just points apart, writes Mark Hennessy
According to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll, the two are just one point apart in favour of Mr Obama. The same poll three weeks ago indicated that the Democrat was seven points ahead.
According to the poll researchers, the presidential race may have tightened after the final television debate, with Mr McCain gaining support among whites and those earning less than $50,000 (€38,999), as the candidates increasingly debate tax policy.
More than 1,100 people were polled, and a significant number of these were contacted via their mobile phone.
The closeness of the figures indicates that party supporters are drifting back to their traditional quarters as polling day approaches.
The AP-GfK survey marks a departure from some, but not all, recent polls.
The George Washington University Battleground Poll, conducted by a Republican strategist and a Democratic pollster, equally put the race tied.
Three weeks ago, the AP-GfK survey found that Mr Obama had surged to a seven-point lead over Mr McCain, lifted by voters who thought the Democrat was better suited to leading the nation through its sudden economic crisis.
However, a Washington Post-ABC News poll and a Wall Street Journal-NBC News survey have Mr Obama up by 11 points, and a poll by the independent Pew Research Centre puts him even further ahead at 14.
While the presidential race appears to have tightened after the final debate, the latest polling would not have taken full account of Sunday's endorsement for Mr Obama from former US secretary of state Colin Powell, pollsters noted yesterday.