By Jim Williams
Albuquerque, NM – A new poll finds Democrat Barack Obama with a ten point lead over Republican John McCain in the final days of the presidential race in New Mexico. The Rasmussen poll was based on the responses of five hundred likely voters, and showed Obama had the support of 54 percent while McCain had 44 percent.
The numbers had tightened slightly since mid-October when the same poll indicated Obama held a 55 to 42 percent lead. But the ten point spread is still well outside the poll's 4-point-5 percent margin of error. Rasmussen also sampled voters' views of each candidate when it comes to dealing with economic issues.
52 percent said they trusted Obama to handle the economy best, 41 percent said they trusted McCain. McCain edged Obama slightly in voters' trust on national security issues. In the sample of five hundred, women favored Obama by 19 points over McCain. Additional Rasmussen polls released today showed Obama leading in the other battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Virginia.