A new Pew survey demonstrates what many other national polls have revealed in the last few days–the national horserace is about as tight as possible. The latest Pew research finds the race at a near dead heat of 46 percent Obama and 44 percent McCain, nearly identical to the pre-convention 46 percent to 43 percent spread. Both candidates received post-convention bounces, but now the numbers have reverted back pretty close to pre-Denver/St. Paul levels. The Pew survey, however, does show some notable improvements for McCain on enthusiasm-related measures:
McCain’s recent achievements are clearly evident. First, Republican voters are much more politically energized than they were prior to the conventions. A greater percentage of GOP voters believe that it “really matters” who wins the election (71% now vs. 62% in June); far more also express satisfaction with their presidential choices than in June (74% vs. 49%). McCain also garners more strong support and more positive support from his backers than he did a month ago. The percentage of voters saying they back McCain strongly climbed from 17% in August to 25% currently. McCain’s increase in strong support has been particularly apparent among Republicans, white evangelical Protestants
The poll also shows progress for McCain on several key issues:
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