Poll shows Obama up 5 points

0 Comments | Philadelphia Daily News, October, 2008 | by DAVE DAVIES daviesd@phillynews.com 215-854-2595

Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain by 5 percentage points among likely voters nationwide, according to a new Franklin & Marshall College poll.

McCain has made modest gains in national polls in recent days. A national average of presidential polls maintained by the Web site RealClearPolitics shows Obama's lead at 6.9 percentage points.

"McCain is crawling into a better position, but he's crawling when he needs to run," said poll director Terry Madonna.

The poll shows important shifts since the last Franklin & Marshall survey in September, before the presidential debates and the deepening of the nation's financial crisis.

Obama's favorability ratings have risen from 43 percent to 51 percent, while McCain's declined slightly from 49 to 45...