Americans Blame GOP for Economy by 2-to-1

Voters blame the GOP over Democrats for the Wall Street crisis by a 2-to-1 margin that may be boosting Barack Obama's overall numbers, a new poll says. Nearly half of Americans pinned blame on Republicans while only about a quarter held Democrats responsible. And Obama held a 10-point lead among voters looking for a president who can handle the economy, CNN reports.

Meanwhile, Obama held a 5-point nationwide lead over McCain. "Two core McCain constituencies" are giving him a boost, a CNN analyst said. "Men, who now narrowly favor Obama, and seniors, who have also flipped from McCain to Obama." Said another: "The CNN Poll of Polls started to show an Obama edge in the middle of last week—just as the financial crisis began to hit home for many Americans."