NBC/WSJ Poll: Obama Holds Lead, Only 14% Of McCain Supporters "Excited"

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll is out tonight. Some key highlights:

-- Barack Obama leads John Mcain by 6 percent, 47-41, a number unchanged since last month's poll. But when Ralph Nader and Bob Barr are added as options, Obama's lead doubles to 13 points.

Obama 48
McCain 35
Nader 5
Barr 2

-- McCain has a slight edge, 46-41, when respondents were asked to identify the "safer" choice for president. But Obama is seen widely as the "riskier" choice, by a margin of 55-35.

-- McCain faces a major enthusiasm gap. Only 14 percent of his supporters say they are "excited" about him, versus 44 percent for Obama. For McCain, 43 percent describe him as the "lesser of two evils," versus 22 percent for Obama.

-- On a key issue of the day, Americans side with Obama: 60 percent believe a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq is a good idea; 30 percent do not.

-- As Eric Kleefeld notes, "Huge majorities say Obama is more likable, more compassionate and able to understand average people, offers hope and optimism for the future, and would improve America's standing in the world. But at the same time, McCain has his own lop-sided majorities on being a good commander-in-chief, and on being knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency."

More breakdown of the poll from MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and NBC News political director Chuck Todd:

Comments

[DAVESEAN]

HOW CAN POLLSTERS BE ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE WHO'S MORE RISKY?
HOW ABOUT ASKING :WHO IS LIKELY TO BE SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA/HEART ATTACK WHILE IN OFFICE?
THIS CORPORATE MEDIA...THEY KEEP DRIVING THE NARRATIVE

[EggsBolinski]

Oh that explains why all those folks walking out of Starbucks look like they just wet their pants.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

What was that prediction you made this morning, EggMcDumbass?

Oh, yes. That Jindal would be the VP nominee

[Kynn]

Mc went and met with Jindal the other day and people knew about it.

Which means it was a "You were that close Bobby, but I'm going in another direction." meeting.

[LABC]

Relatives of yours?

[peter777]

We older whites need to lose our prejudice and recognize that Obama is more intelligent, has a better grasp of the issues, has a better knowledge of history and government, and is actually more concerned about the average American, including older citizens. He shows also that he has very good sense about foreign affairs, enough to force effective alliances and not think that going to war is the solution to every controversy.

[TrueIndy08]

you speak with true wisdom...

[305Rider]

Amen brother.

[Chillinout]

Well, I am an older white as are all my friends and my mother and we all enthusiastically support O'bama.

[MalloMel]

Older people should cut out this prejudice crap and start thinking about the survival of the Social Security that all too many of them depend on. If McCain wins the presidency, he and his boys will try to steal the Social Security money just like Bush tried to do, in the name of privatization. They want to make you think that if Social Security is invested, that the recipients will make more money than they put in. What happens if the stock market goes down like it is doing now? You lose money while the fat cats dump the stock and take the money and run. Sounds kind of risky to me. Not every investment in the stock market makes money. The ones who are pushing this are not out to help the older people. They are only out to help themselves, and you can take that to the bank.

[rmreddicks]

Older folks aren't really falling for that privitization crap. They know what it is to get caught short. Robbing Social Security (it's the fattest easy pot left on the table) is mostly a ploy by the owning-for-a-living crowd advanced toward the younger crowd. (And we all know what we thought about the future when we were younger.) Not entirely unlike the two-tier union job contracts.

But, as they claim, the market always goes up in the long run. And because that's not true, what happens when the market crashes when it's your turn to voluntarily stop working for the pigs that have stolen the greater part of your labors?

[cindyw]

As a 61 year old Obama supporter, I'd agree with you, but I have to add that I hope younger people put their money where there mouths are and show up to vote this November. Historically, they don't. I hope this time is different.

[Softnsweet]

The older people do not care about social security because the younger people are working like the dickens by paying for it. They are no longer putting money into it, their money (our) money was lost a long time ago. I say stop paying into it and let us suffer. We will learn out lesson then.

[Busterdawg]

Of course the important numbers are the ones Nico dismisses - McCain's edge in the safer choice category, 46-41. But the real kicker is Obama "seen widely as the "riskier" choice, by a margin of 55-35".

This is very bad.

I know what the Obama-crat's battle cry will be- "The country just has to get to know him is all..." The trouble is, the country is getting to know him. He dominates news coverage. Endless stories on his every move. Yet, despite the massive coverage no one can still really figure out who he is or what he's for. In the Primary season he runs to the Left. Post Primary season he runs right so fast everyone's head is spinning. Say's what ever he thinks people want to hear (something the Obama Campaign accused Hillary of doing). He stands for nothing and that's disturbing to most.

Nico really needs to learn how to glean the important information from poll numbers (or maybe he's spinning trying to make Obama look good... naw, he wouldn't do that).

[WoodyCPM]

Oh sour grapes....

[Softnsweet]

No he could be be spinning trying to make Obama look good because he already does.

[Grunty1]

You do understand that "riskier" is higher because it is a safer way to say they won't vote for the black guy, right?

[Danigirl65]

I can't wait until the media figures out the real truth about non-movement in the polls. When you poll land lines, you get responses from people who have land lines. What about the cell phone generation who often doesn't have a land line??

[Chillinout]

I find it a bit suspicious that this poll says he is only leading by 6 points when most of the state polls put him quite a bit farther ahead. Something here is not computing. Maybe these poll takers need to put new batteries in their calculators

[TrueIndy08]

well.. we already that anyone who does anything with the media is a freakin liar!!! They have to make it seem close or the media outlets lose ratings....

[TrueIndy08]

14%... I knew it...

I knew watching paint dry on a wall was more exciting than this man!!!!

[PumaAnn]

No movement in the polls? Well.....the beat goes on.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Don't beat yourself too hard, PUMA.

You can't help it if your candidate lost.

[BWonka]

"Only 14 percent of his supporters say they are "excited" "

Those must be the ones using Via - gra

[mollysgran]

1% of those who are excited is "Mrs. Cindy McCain" who seems determined to become 1st Lady!

[rmreddicks]

She can raid the world's biggest medicine cabinet in the White House. It'll be like she's looking through the whole country's medicine cabinet.

[thaphenomenalone]

14%

well i heard Metamucil sales have went up this election season

[VolvoBirkenstock]

You now have TWO choices for president:

The first one has one of the longest lines of political experience in history. He is exceedingly popular in congress. He was a soldier who volunteered to defend the United States in the Navy.

The second one has no real political experience outside of Illinois. He is tall and lanky with big ears. He even lost a few of his first attempts at gaining political office. He is an excellent speechwriter and orator. He is a good attorney and has a successful law practice.

So which one would you choose?

This is a trick question because both were already Presidents of the United States. The first one is the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan. He is the President who mired us in the Civil War by declaring the action illegal but doing nothing when the south decided to secede from the Union. He is largely considered by historians as being the worst President in American history.

He was followed by the other man who became the 16th President of the United States: Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln is credited with the end of slavery, the end of the Civil War, and unification of the nation. He became president at a dark time when our country was deeply divided over very polarizing issues. He had no experience in Washington prior to his Presidency. He is widely considered by historians as one of the best Presidents in American History.

Sound familiar?

~Author Unknown

[darthmaul]

Hi VolvoBirkenstock - I agree with your post, but I'm wondering if Bush is going to knock off Buchanan and be named as the worst president in history.

[gapanther]

Stop wondering, he has.

[neesy08]

One of the best? I thought he ranked #1

[Busterdawg]

You're absolutely right.

Anyone who is tall and lanky with big ears AND hails from Illinois will always turn out to be one of the greatest presidents in the history of the country. Yup... uh-huh... sure.

I would love to be a fly on the wall when you shop for a toaster or something - "Let's see... shiny, has an electrical cord, 4 slots... must be the greatest toaster in the history of appliances!"

[TrueIndy08]

I don't think he automatically will be one of the greatest.... but after these last 7+ atrocious years.... he defnitely can't do much worse!

[JiminNC]

"He is largely considered by historians as being the worst President in American history."

He will be considered 2nd place at best on or after Jan 21st, 2009.

[rmreddicks]

Do you ever get tired of posting this? Isn't there something about JFK and Abe you could use?

[teapartydude]

So a better Commander-in-chief needs to be in the Senate for 25 years?

WTF are people thinking?

ANd this dork said the Iraq War would be easy and short.

American population in a nutshell, are fudging idiots!

[AdamND]

Nader always draws a lot of far left democratic votes early on but many of those nader voters tend to come back to the democratic fold when its actually time to vote.

He usually draws about 5% around this time. Barr on the other hand is going to pull many hardcore republicans.

[doctorwang]

If you look at the numbers it actually looks like Nader is drawing voters from McCain (?!).

[rmreddicks]

I have to agree. That seemed like an odd get. I've mulled it about (only a bit) and I can't figure it.

[zull2]

You can bet that half of those Nader supporters will turn and vote Democratic at the last minute anyway when they realize that their votes will mean nothing at all. It's not even a statement anymore...it was a statement in 2000, maybe...but now it's just a statement of stupidity.

That said, it's something I said a long time ago...ordinary people who don't normally vote or care about politics would be far more inclined to vote if they felt like their vote was accomplishing something visually important. Being a part of the election of the first African-American president is easily something to become excited about, and here you go. Think people would be excited to vote for another rich guy or white guy with a southern accent and feel-good story? People are far past that, it's been done to death.

[rmreddicks]

Nader voters might be thinking that Obama is going to win easily. They can then make their vote a bit more meaningful. Especially if it can move third party status up the ladder. (It requires a certain threshold for future campaign privilege.) Nader, quack as he might seem, does speak some relevant truths. I only hope that they (Naderists and Greens) can see the small sea change globally and the tsunami nationally and locally that the election of a person of color will bring. It's unlikely that Obama's policy ideas will be intolerable or something that can't be dealt with for eight years considering what we've just been through.

[JiminNC]

The other 86% are on life support and doctors orders not to get excited.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Hard to get excited over a Velveeta/Wonder Bread sandwich.

[theone718]

Someone said this correctly. The reason Nader and Barr are taking more points from McCain is because that vote is more than likely anti Obama rather than anti McCain.

[letsgetsmart]

Must have been on faux or the fat man because if his numbers go down then they are choosing some one over him. Who ever said that has a logic problem.