McCain surpasses Obama in Gallup Tracking Poll for first time

Washington, Aug 27 : Republican presidential candidate John McCain passed rival Barack Obama in the daily Gallup tracking poll, suggesting that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has received no bounce after naming Joe Biden as his running mate.

The three-day average poll, taken after the announcement of Democratic vice presidential nominee on Saturday, shows that McCain with 46 percent and Obama at 44 percent, within the margin of error.

It's the first time since Obama sealed the nomination in June that McCain has surpassed him in the polls numerically, if not statistically.

The race for the President has been virtually tied for the last month. But an historical analysis by Gallup shows that the presidential candidates usually see a boost after the running mate announcements and then again after the conventions, FOX News reported.

Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said he expected a close race until Election Day.

"This is a tight race. It will remain a tight race. The lead will fluctuate between now and November. If the spread were greater than the number of houses John McCain owns, then we'd be concerned," Vietor said.

The tie between Obama and McCain may be attributable to base support. The Gallup numbers show McCain receiving about 10 points more support from his Republican base than Obama is from his Democratic base.

ANI