McCain Takes Lead Reaches 50% For First Time

Gallup 50%-46% among registered voters; Rasmussen 47%-46% of likely voters.

The latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll shows John McCain moving ahead of Barack Obama, 50% to 46%, when registered voters are asked for whom they would vote if the presidential election were held today. These results are based on Sept. 4-6 interviewing, and include two full days of polling after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention last Thursday night. McCain has outpolled Obama on both Friday and Saturday, and is receiving a convention bounce just as Obama did last week.

McCain’s 48% share of the vote ties for his largest since Gallup tracking began in early March. He registered the same level of support in early May. This is also McCain’s largest advantage over Obama since early May, when he led by as much as six percentage points. Obama leads among voters under age 30 trailing in all other cohorts; young women  gives Obama the biggest nod; Obama leads among black 93%-3% and Hispanics 64%-24%; McCain leads among whites 50%-40%; weekly church attendees give McCain the biggest margin by 63%-28% while non-attendees support Obama 51%-39%.

The Rasmussen poll shows McCain ahead among likely voters 47%-46% a 7 point shift toward McCain in the last week. McCain leads by four points among men while Obama leads by three among women in that poll..