Obama Pulls Ahead of McCain by 8 Points

Barack Obama, who claimed a majority of pledged delegates last night after his win in the Oregon primary, has opened up an 8-point lead over John McCain in national polling, reports Reuters. Obama, who was tied with McCain in the Reuters/Zogby poll a month ago, also doubled, to 26 points, his lead over Hillary Clinton among Democrats. In a Clinton-McCain matchup, the two candidates are at level pegging.

Obama outpolled McCain 48% to 39% on the key issue of economic competence, which McCain led by 3 points last month. The Illinois senator also leads among independents and some demographics that he has struggled with in the primary: Catholics, Jews, union households, and the working class. McCain led among whites, NASCAR fans, and voters over 65.