L.A. Times/Bloomberg poll results released later today

A recent Newsweek poll, showing Barack Obama with a 15-percentage-point lead over John McCain, left many of the folks closely watching the presidential race scratching their heads.

With other polls showing a closer race, did the Newsweek survey accurately detect a somewhat delayed Obama "bounce" following the official end of Hillary Clinton's campaign? Or did the magazine get it wrong?

A just-completed L.A. Times/Bloomberg national poll may help clarify the confusion. We cannot reveal the precise figures quite yet; for the results, check LATimes.com about 5 p.m. EDT (2 p.m. PDT) today.

The survey not only asked registered voters their preferences in the head-to-head race between McCain and Obama but, in a second question, specifically included Ralph Nader and Bob Barr as choices to try to determine how their presidential candidacies might affect November's main event.

The poll also gauged voter attitudes toward Obama and McCain on a raft of issues and characteristics, including which has the right experience to be president and which has more honesty and integrity. And one of the poll's most dramatic findings concerned differing enthusiasm levels among their backers.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Wm Tate]

By November, the third party candidates will go by the wayside. Only in the closest states do they have a chance to make an impact. And that will be as spoilers--think Ross Perot in 1992.
-Wm Tate,
http://www.atimelikethis.us/

[Eliz. Arnone]

If you really look closely as to the person with the most integrity and long standing fight for the people, Ralph Nader wins hands down.

Since Obama got the nomination, he's taken a sharp turn to the right.

It's back to the lesser of two evils again.

[Mitchell in NY]

Okay, here is a prediction, although, not much of one. Your poll today is going to show markedly more enthusiasm for Obama than McCain. On a list of a (baker's) dozen reasons why Obama is going to win, #2.

2. The Organization Factor: Obama has built a remarkable organization. Nothing quite like it has been seen before in its capacity to raise money, generate enthusiasm, and get out the vote. For more on the uniqueness of Obama’s organization, see Joshua Green’s piece, “The Amazing Money Machine” http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200806/obama-finance and Marc Ambinder’s “His Space” in The Atlantic http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200806/ambinder-obama

"A Dozen Reasons Why Obama will be the Next President: Money-Back Guarantee”
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[Jan]

I am Lieber-al i don't want to win I want to lose to lose to a warmonger who will invade a third-world country (Iran), and more then that i want to go around the world to talk about saving the world instead being in position to actually do something about it. MY ETHICS you see i am a loser, born loser, i act , think and talk like a loser

[Flipflop-ama McWaffle]

Newsflash: PEOPLE LIE TO POLLSTERS.

Try it yourself - it's fun to confuse the corporate media's political horserace handicappers!

After 2 stolen presidential elections in a row, no one takes these 'polls' seriously, except the pollsters.

[Jon]

I challenge you to disagree with anything that ralph has stood for in his 40 years of public service. from the nba to sesame street, ralph has been there.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=k7thPDNNEvQfeature=user

take the nader challenge and see how you fare:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ufYxHSITrKM

These are hilarious and informative videos!

educate yourself at www. votenader.org

[Is Paris Burning ?]

Don Frederick had to be among the polled. Obama foliage
is now plentyfull...but come november most leaves will
have fallen leaving only skeletons and also-rans.

[Go Nader]

Nader does win hands down for integrity and a history of doing all the things the two other politicians give lip service to. His record of fighting for democracy, and open government, and consumer rights and safety is amazing. The only way he could lose is if the news ignores him desparately trying to make Obama look good, and people want to believe the lie, that somehow Obama or McCain are less corrupt or less likely to lead us to war than the same old. Just the other day, while Israel is doing test bombing, freaking Iran out, Obama's giving speeches of how big a threat Iran is. If Obama's so different, who does this already sound so familiar?

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/23/is_israel_preparing_to_bomb_iran

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4999088&page=1