Poll: McCain Leads Comfortably in Arizona

A new poll of 1,000 Arizona voters indicates The Grand Canyon State may be less in play than previous polls have shown, reports the Phoenix-area East Valley Tribune. According to the poll, conducted by the Raleigh, N.C.-based Public Policy Polling, Sen. John McCain holds a 12-point lead over his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, in McCain’s home state of Arizona. The survey founded McCain is favored by 52 percent of Arizonans, compared with 40 percent for Obama. Eight percent of respondents were undecided. The survey had a margin of error of

Two recent polls have suggested a much closer race in Arizona. A Zogby online poll last month found Obama held a three-point lead over McCain, while a Behavior Research Center survey of Maricopa County residents showed McCain’s 15-point lead in Arizona’s largest county had shrunk to just five points in one month. To note, many experts question the validity of online polls. The Arizona Republic conducted an analysis of the two candidates’ June fund-raising numbers and reported Obama outraised McCain in the state month, and McCain holds a slim lead over Obama in contributions from Arizonans for this year. Whether Arizona really shapes up into a battleground for the fall remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: the overall picture indicates McCain would be wise to not take anything for granted.