Hotline Tracking Poll: Obama 50% McCain 42% and for the first time...

[WI_DEM]

Obama/Biden: 50%
McCain/Palin: 42%
Undec: 5% (no change from yesterday)

--For the first time ever McCain and Obama are tied on the question of who's more prepared to lead. A week ago (10/20), McCain was ahead on this question by 8 pts.

--Congressional Democrats have expanded their lead over Republicans on the generic ballot question, with Democrats now up by 10 pts. 47-37%. On 10/20, Democrats had a 5 pt. lead.

--The number of voters who say they've cast early ballots continues to rise with 15% of the sample now saying they have already voted.

Today's Diageo/Hotline tracking poll, conducted 10/24-26 by FD, surveyed 879 LVs and has a margin of error of +/- 3.6%. Party ID Breakdown for the sample is 41%D, 37%R, 18%I.
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/10/diageohotline_t_32.html

[MadBadger]

1. Looks like not all the polls show movement to McCant

K&R

[WI_DEM]

2. Yes, but I'm not too worried about the others either.

[Tutonic]

3. Diageo/Hotline is very reputable. If they say he isat 50% he is

likely there.

[Politics_Guy25]

5. Worst case scenario-Obama wins 50-47%

But I think it's going to be a lot higher than that.

Awesome and relieving poll numbers from Hotline. Now we await Gallup.

[WI_DEM]

6. True, and Ras and Research 2000 also have Obama at 50%

[Smuckies]

4. Nice

:thumbsup:

[Stagecoach]

7. Was hotline?

The polling group Chuck Todd was part of in 2006?

[WI_DEM]

8. Not sure.

[mvd]

9. They did have Obama at 1% at one point and don't have as many respondents

I don't think they are as good as Research 2000, Gallup, and Rasmussen. But nice to see the lead steady while Obama remains comfortably ahead in the others.

[jefferson_dem]

10. Chuckles used to be editor-in-chief for Hotline...back in the day.

I used to enjoy his segments on C-SPAN.

This is the first season HOTLINE has done tracking polls.