It's still the economy, stupid.
The financial meltdown has given Barack Obama the first clear lead of the election over John McCain, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News national poll.
The poll found that, among likely voters, Obama now leads McCain by 52 per cent to 43 per cent. Two weeks ago, the race was essentially even with McCain at 49 per cent and Obama at 47 per cent.
More voters said in the survey that they trusted Obama to lead the nation out of its current economic woes than they trusted McCain to do it.
The poll also found that the strong initial public reaction to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, has cooled somewhat. Overall, her unfavorable rating has gone up by 10 points in the past two weeks, from 28 percent to 38 percent.
