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Polls: Obama leads McCain in 3 key swing states
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-19 09:57

BEIJING -- A latest survey showed presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama has taken an early lead over his Republican counterpart Sen. John McCain in the crucial swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.


Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama answers questions from the audience during a town hall meeting as he campaigns at Kaukauwa High School in Kaukauna, Wisconsin June 12, 2008. [Xinhua]

According to the survey posted on Quinnipiac University's website Wednesday, Obama is ahead 47 percent to 43 percnet in Florida, 48 percenrt to 42 percent in Ohio and 52 percent to 40 percent in Pennsylvania.

The Quinnipiac polls showed Obama solidly leads McCain in the three states among women, while the fight to win the support of white men is too close to call.

Obama trails McCain among white voters in Florida and Ohio, but is supported by more than nine out of 10 African Americans.

Obama also is running up double-digit leads among young voters in each state.

Voters are nearly split on whether Obama should choose former Democratic contender Sen. Hillary Clinton as his running mate. Forty percent give a thumbs-up to the idea while 43 percent stand against it.

With new polls that showed him running ahead of his rival in three battleground states, Obama turned his attention to foreign policy issues.


US Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain speaks during a townhall meeting in Kenner, Louisiana June 3, 2008. [Xinhua]

Obama said because of the policies of George Bush over the last eight years, the United States continues to face grave threats, not only from terrorism, but also nuclear proliferation, climate change and poverty, genocide and disease.

"Instead of adhering to a rigid ideology, I want to get back to the pragmatic tradition of American foreign policy which has been so ably advanced by the people in this room, a policy that's focused on using all elements of American power to protect our people and to advance our interests," Obama said.