Latest poll results yesterday suggested that US Republican presidential
nominee John McCain faces an uphill battle just week ahead of the Nov. 4
presidential elections.
His Democratic opponent Barack Obama is hanging onto leads in several
battleground states as well as a handful of traditionally "red states" won by
President George W. Bush in 2004, CNN's average of several recent state polls
shows.
According to a string of new polls of polls from CNN, Obama holds narrow
leads in Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Nevada, and Virginia.
McCain meanwhile is hanging onto his lead in Indiana and West Virginia.
In Ohio, the state no Republican has won the White House without, Obama is
holding a 4 point lead, 50 percent to 46 percent.
In Missouri, the state that voted for Bush twice, Obama holds a1 point lead
over McCain.
Obama is holding onto a 2-point lead in Florida meanwhile, 48 percent to 46
percent.
In Nevada, Obama has a 4-point lead, 49 to 45 percent -- a lead that hasn't
changed over the last week.
In Virginia, a state that hasn't voted Democratic in over 4 decades, but one
that has been increasingly trending Democratic, Obama holds a 5 point lead, 50
to 45 percent.
McCain meanwhile has a 1-point lead in Indiana, 47 to 45 percent, another
state that hasn't voted Democratic since the 1960's but one that the Obama
campaign has heavily targeted.
McCain also has an 8 point lead in West Virginia, 50 to 42 percent.
Based on the polls, analysts said McCain faces an uphill climb in the final
week of his presidential campaign.
"The Republicans haven't lost Virginia in 44 years. They absolutely need
Florida to reach 270 electoral votes on Election Night. They've never won the
White House without carrying Ohio. And the last time Missouri backed a losing
candidate was in 1956,"noted CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib.
"McCain is now trailing -- albeit narrowly -- in all four of these states. He
needs a dramatic turnaround this week to have a serious shot at winning on
November 4," he added.