http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/politics/2008/view/2008_09_11_Poll:_Obama_opens_up_lead_in_Ohio/srvc=home&position=recentAlaska Gov. Sarah Palin is sure to become a familiar visitor to Ohio over the next two months.
A poll released today found John McCain’s running mate to be a popular choice among independent voters and white women in this swing state.
Still, the same poll showed Democrat Barack Obama with a slight overall lead in Ohio and advantage among women voters.
Obama led McCain 49-44 percent, according to the Quinnipiac University poll. Last month, they were about even. The university’s polls in two other prized states found that McCain had widened his lead in Florida and narrowed the gap in Pennsylvania.
No matter what the polls show, Palin will be counted on to help McCain win votes from white women, those so-called "soccer moms" who make up an important group of swing voters. The poll showed Obama with a 10-point lead with women in Ohio.
"Ohioans will get to know Sarah Palin better than any state in the union," said Mark Weaver, a veteran GOP campaign strategist who is not working for McCain. "If she’s not an honorary buckeye, she will be soon."
Palin is a self-described "hockey mom" who enjoys hunting and fishing.
That will play well in rural Ohio, said Greg Haas, a Democratic political consultant. "I can picture her hunting in southern Ohio," he said.
McCain’s strongest support is in southern Ohio while Obama is better in the northern half where the loss of manufacturing jobs is a chief concern. Both campaigned in southwest Ohio on Tuesday and were just 25 miles apart.
McCain and Obama also must make sure they keep their supporters from switching sides. The Quinnipiac poll showed that 15 percent of the voters said they might change their mind before Election Day.
Obama should be most concerned about younger voters, who support him by a 2-to-1 margin, and making sure they do indeed go to the polls, said Grant Neeley, a political science professor at the University of Dayton.
"He’s got to keep them energized," Neeley said. "That youth group is carrying him."
Half of Ohio voters cited the economy as the biggest issue, the Quinnipiac poll said. Health care, the war in Iraq and energy policy all were a distant second.
The Quinnipiac poll involved telephone interviews with 1,367 likely voters in Ohio, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
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