Vital swing states are swinging in Barack Obama's direction, the latest CNN poll finds. The candidate has opened up leads over John McCain in Florida, Nevada and Missouri, while widening his margins in Virginia and Minnesota. The boost has come largely from moderates impressed by Obama's debate performance and people fretting about the economy, according to CNN's poll director.
The CNN poll found Obama pulling ahead of McCain 51-47% in Florida, 54-43% in Minnesota, 49-48% in Missouri, 53-44% in Virginia, and 51-47% in Nevada. CNN estimates that if the election were held today, 250 of the 270 electoral college votes needed would go to Obama, 189 would go to McCain, and 99 are too close to call.
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