Obama Moves Ahead in the Polls

Barack Obama, whose campaign many feared was collapsing in the Democratic presidential tradition of Kerry, Dukakis, and Mondale, has pulled slightly ahead of John McCain in the latest polls, while Republicans watch the boost McCain got from Sarah Palin evanesce.

Obama's improved fortunes are relieving an epidemic of Democratic anxiety from Beverly Hills and South Central Los Angeles to the Upper West Side and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Recent fears among Democratic activists have been based on a brief spate of polls. After holding a relatively consistent lead for five months, Obama, two weeks ago, suddenly looked vulnerable.

The CBS-Times poll suggests that McCain will have an uphill struggle distancing himself from GOP orthodoxy. The poll found, in addition, that the Democratic Party retained a 50 percent favorable rating, while the Republican Party stood at 37 percent.

CBS pointed to additional evidence suggesting that McCain's VP pick is not wearing well: "Palin's favorable rating stands at 40 percent, down 4 points from last week. Her unfavorable rating, which stands at 30 percent, has risen eight points in the same time period. Her favorable rating among women has fallen 11 points in the past week.