Poll: McCain Getting Deeper in the Hole

Barack Obama has boosted his nationwide lead with his response to the economic crisis and debate performance, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. The candidate now leads John McCain 49%-43%, a 4-point jump from two weeks ago. Obama has also swayed independent voters, turning McCain’s 13-point lead with that group into a 4-point lead of his own.

McCain lags behind Obama by 17 points in who voters think can best handle the economy, and he trails by at least 6 points on all of the poll’s economic questions except taxes—on which the two are tied. But pollsters say much could change before the election—particularly with racial issues involved and an angry, unpredictable electorate. Still, says one, "I wouldn't want to be in John McCain's shoes."
(More poll stories.)