Just 4 days to go, Obama leads by 11 points

Washington, Oct 31: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama maintains a clear lead of 11 points over his rival John McCain, with less than one week before Election Day, in a new poll conducted by CBS News/New York Times.

The Democratic nominee now leads his Republican rival by 11 percentage points, 52 percent to 41 percent, among likely voters nationwide. A small percentage of these voters could still switch sides: The figures include both firm supporters of each candidate and those who lean towards one or the other but have not fully committed. These so-called leaners, however, make up less than 10 percent of each candidate's support, a sign that significant movement in the campaign's final days is not likely. Just five percent of the likely voters surveyed remain completely undecided.

Seventeen percent of registered voters say they have already voted, either by absentee ballot or at early voting sites, and this group favors Obama by a large margin. The 13 percent of registered voters casting ballots for the first time favor Obama over McCain by two-to-one.

Intense feelings surround the prospect of either candidate being elected. Fifty-seven percent of likely McCain voters say they are scared about Obama becoming president, while 47 percent of Obama voters are scared of a McCain presidency.

The McCain voters who are scared of an Obama presidency feel uneasy about the Illinois senator's ability to handle an international crisis, and they do not think he shares the values of most Americans. These voters are more likely to older, and many are evangelical Christians.

Obama voters scared of McCain becoming president think the Arizona senator does not understand their needs and problems. These voters are more likely to be women, and liberal, and about a quarter of them are African American.

McCain does have a slight edge when it comes to raising taxes, a topic he has focused on in recent weeks.

Fifty percent of those surveyed expect Obama to raise the taxes of people like them, while 46 percent expect McCain to do so. Vast majorities believe Obama would raise taxes on big business and McCain would not.

Sixty-six percent believe an Obama administration would result in more Americans having health care. Just 23 percent think this would happen in a McCain administration.

McCain holds a small edge among whites, 48 percent to 46 percent, though Obama leads slightly among white women.

ANI