Obama takes 13-point lead over McCain

Washington, Oct 24 : Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama holds a 13-point lead over Republican rival John McCain, a new CBS News/New York Times poll shows.

Obama now leads McCain 52 percent to 39 percent among likely voters nationwide, roughly the same lead he held last week. Just five percent are undecided, and more than 9 in 10 of each candidate's supporters say their mind is made up.

Obama's lead among independent voters, who have swung back and forth between the candidates, has fallen 12 points since last week - though the Democratic nominee still holds a 45 percent to 39 percent edge among the group.

Obama has been more successful in evoking a positive response from voters: Sixty-two percent say they feel personally comfortable with the Illinois senator. Far fewer - 47 percent - feel comfortable with McCain.

In fact, a slightly higher percentage - 49 percent - report feeling "uneasy" about the Republican nominee. Thirty-four percent feel uneasy about Obama.

An increasing number of voters see McCain as running a negative campaign. Sixty-four percent say the Republican is spending more time attacking the other candidate than explaining what he would do as president, up 11 points from last month. Just 22 percent say the same of Obama.

The Democratic nominee is much more likely to be seen as having the temperament and personality to be president, and he holds a big advantage on handling the economy.

He is widely expected to win the presidency, with likely voters predicting an Obama victory by more than three to one.

Seventy-five percent of registered voters say Obama has the temperament and personality to be president, up 6 points from last week. Nineteen percent say he does not. Only 50 percent say McCain has the proper temperament and personality, while nearly as many - 45 percent - say that he does not.

When it comes to confidence in handling a crisis, Obama has a slight edge. Forty-nine percent say they are confident that Obama can deal with a crisis, while 47 percent are uneasy about the prospect. Forty-six percent are confident in McCain to handle a crisis, while 51 percent are uneasy.

ANI