In a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, Virginia is turning out to be a real battleground state. The poll reports that Barack Obama is slighlty ahead of John McCain 49 to 46 percent with 13 electoral votes at stake.
According to the poll, about 19 percent of likely voters who have not made a choice or are not firmly committed to their candidate yet; 50 percent of respondents have said that they consider the economy the most important issue in these elections; and the polls show that Obama has a 10-point lead as to who would be better suited to handle the current financial crisis. He also has a lead on the question of who is most likely to shake up Washington.
On the other hand, McCain has a large lead on the question of who would be better suited to be commander-in-chief in the war against terror.
Ultimately, the poll shows that when Ralph Nader and Bob Barr, the third-party candidates were included, Obama still had a five-point lead.
If Obama wins on November 4, he would become the first Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 to win the state.
Barack Obama will face John McCain in the first presidential debate this Friday, September 26 in Oxford, Mississippi. Jim Lehrer of PBS’s "Newshour" will moderate.