2008 National Polls (pre-election)
Below is a selection of recent national public opinion polls showing presidential preference; we have highlighted survey findings on gender.
The gender gap* is the difference in the percentages of women and men who support a given candidate — the gap between the genders, not within a gender. Even if women and men favor the same candidate, they may do so by different margins, resulting in a gender gap.
* We calculate the gender gap for each poll based on the votes of women and men who support the candidate leading in that poll.
Poll | Date in Field |
Release Date |
Overall Results |
Gender
Gap* |
Women
for McCain |
Men for
McCain |
Women
for Obama |
Men for
Obama |
Undecided
Women |
Undecided
Men |
ABC/Post | 10/22-10/25 | 10/26 | Obama 52%; McCain 45% |
11 pts.
|
41%
|
51%
|
57%
|
46%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Newsweek | 10/22-10/23 | 10/24 | Obama 53%; McCain 40% |
2 pts.
|
39%
|
42%
|
54%
|
52%
|
7%
|
4%
|
CBS/NYTimes | 10/19-10/22 | 10/23 | Obama 52%; McCain 39% |
5 pts.
|
37%
|
41%
|
55%
|
50%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Rasmussen | 10/13-10/19 | 10/22 | Obama 50%; McCain 45% |
6 pts.
|
42%
|
49%
|
53%
|
47%
|
3%
|
2%
|
ABC/Post | 10/18-10/21 | 10/22 | Obama 54%; McCain 43% |
7 pts.
|
41%
|
46%
|
57%
|
50%
|
NA
|
NA
|
NBC/WSJ | 10/17-10/20 | 10/21 | Obama 52%; McCain 42% |
7 pts.
|
38%
|
45%
|
56%
|
49%
|
NA
|
NA
|
ARG | 10/18-10/20 | 10/21 | Obama 49%; McCain 45% |
7 pts.
|
43%
|
48%
|
52%
|
45%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Franklin and Marshall College | 10/13-10/19 | 10/22 | Obama 50%; McCain 45% |
7 pts.
|
41%
|
45%
|
51%
|
44%
|
6%
|
6%
|
Pew | 10/16-10/19 | 10/21 | Obama 52%; McCain 38% |
6 pts.
|
35%
|
42%
|
55%
|
49%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Gallup | 10/13-10/19 | 10/20 | Obama 51%; McCain 42% |
7 pts.
|
39%
|
46%
|
54%
|
47%
|
NA
|
NA
|
ARG | 10/11-10/13 | 10/14 | Obama 50%; McCain 45% |
7 pts.
|
44%
|
47%
|
53%
|
46%
|
NA
|
NA
|
CBS/NYTimes | 10/10-10/13 | 10/14 | Obama 53%; McCain 39% |
1 pt.
|
37%
|
41%
|
52%
|
53%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Pew | 10/9-10/12 | 10/14 | Obama 50%; MCCain 40% |
8 pts.
|
35%
|
46%
|
54%
|
46%
|
NA
|
NA
|
LA Times/Bloomberg | 10/10-10/13 | 10/14 | Obama 49%; McCain 41% |
0 pts.
|
41%
|
40%
|
49%
|
49%
|
8%
|
9%
|
Ipsos/McClatchy | 10/9-10/13 | 10/14 | Obama 48%; McCain 39% |
5 pts.
|
37%
|
41%
|
50%
|
45%
|
10%
|
10%
|
ABC/Post | 10/8-10/11 | 10/13 | Obama 53%; McCain 43% |
9 pts.
|
39%
|
47%
|
57%
|
48%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Rasmussen Reports | 10/6-10/12 | 10/13 | Obama 51%; McCain 45% |
7 pts.
|
42%
|
48%
|
54%
|
47%
|
4%
|
3%
|
Gallup | 10/6-10/12 | 10/13 | Obama 51%; McCain 41% |
4 pts.
|
39%
|
44%
|
53%
|
49%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Newsweek | 10/8-10/9 | 10/10 | Obama 52%; McCain 41% |
4 pts.
|
41%
|
40%
|
50%
|
54%
|
8%
|
5%
|
Ipsos/McClatchey | 10/2-10/6 | 10/7 | Obama 47%; McCain 40% |
13 pts.
|
36%
|
45%
|
53%
|
40%
|
9%
|
10%
|
NBC/WSJ | 10/4-10/5 | 10/6 | Obama 49%; McCain 43% |
5 pts.
|
41%
|
46%
|
51%
|
46%
|
4.4%
|
3.8%
|
Rasmussen Reports | 9/29-10/5 | 10/6 | Obama 52%; McCain 44% |
7 pts.
|
52%
|
48%
|
55%
|
48%
|
3%
|
2%
|
Gallup | 9/29-10/5 | 10/6 | Obama 49%; Mcain 43% |
8 pts.
|
39%
|
47%
|
53%
|
45%
|
NA
|
NA
|
GWU/Tarrance | 9/28-10/2 | 10/3 | Obama 45%; McCain 41% |
7 pts.
|
37%
|
46%
|
48%
|
41%
|
14%
|
11%
|
Time | 9/26-9/29 | 10/1 | Obama 50%; McCain 43% |
10 pts. |
36%
|
47%
|
53%
|
43%
|
10%
|
9%
|
CBS | 9/27-9/30 | 10/1 | Obama 49%; McCain 40% |
4 pts.
|
37%
|
43%
|
51%
|
47%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Pew | 9/27-9/29 | 10/1 | Obama 49%; McCain 42% |
11 pts.
|
37%
|
47%
|
54%
|
43%
|
NA
|
NA
|
ABC/Post | 9/27-9/29 | 9/30 | Obama 50%; McCain 46% |
5 pts.
|
45%
|
48%
|
52%
|
47%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Gallup | 9/22-9/28 | 9/30 | Obama 48%; McCain 44% |
8 pts.
|
39%
|
49%
|
52%
|
44%
|
NA
|
NA
|
CBS/NYTimes | 9/21-9/24 | 9/25 | Obama 47%; McCain 42% |
4 pts.
|
36%
|
49%
|
49%
|
45%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Bloomberg/LATimes | 9/19-9/22 | 9/24 | Obama 46%; McCain 44% |
6 pts.
|
40%
|
49%
|
49%
|
43%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Franklin and Marshall College | 9/15-9/21 | 9/25 | Obama 45%; McCain 43% |
11 pts.
|
38%
|
52%
|
48%
|
37%
|
11%
|
8%
|
NBC/Wall Street Journal | 9/19-9/22 | 9/25 | Obama 48%; McCain 46% |
5 pts.
|
42%
|
50%
|
50%
|
45%
|
8%
|
4.3%
|
Franklin and Marshall College | 9/15-9/21 | 9/25 | Obama 45% McCain 43% |
11 pts.
|
38%
|
52%
|
48%
|
37%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Bloomberg/LATimes | 9/19-9/22 | 9/24 | Obama 46%; McCain 44% |
6 pts.
|
40%
|
49%
|
49%
|
43%
|
NA
|
NA
|
ABC/Post | 9/19-9/23 | 9/24 | Obama 52%; McCain 43% |
9 pts.
|
40%
|
47%
|
56%
|
47%
|
NA
|
NA
|
ARG | 9/20-9/22 | 9/23 | Obama 48%; MCCain 46% |
5 pts.
|
45%
|
48%
|
50%
|
45%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Economist/YouGov | 9/15-9/16 | 9/18 | McCain 45%; Obama 43% |
10 pts.
|
40%
|
50%
|
47%
|
40%
|
9%
|
6%
|
Pew | 9/9-9/14 | 9/18 | Obama 46%; McCain 44% |
9 pts.
|
40%
|
49%
|
50%
|
41%
|
NA
|
NA
|
CBS/NYTimes | 9/12-9/16 | 9/17 | Obama 48%; McCain 43% |
12 pts.
|
38%
|
48%
|
54%
|
42%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Quinnipiac | 9/11-9/16 | 9/17 | Obama 49%; McCain 45% |
11 pts.
|
40%
|
50%
|
54%
|
43%
|
5%
|
5%
|
Newsweek | 9/10-9/11 | 9/12 | Obama 46%; McCain 46% (includes leaning voters) |
2 pts.
0 pts. |
46%
|
46%
|
45%
|
47%
|
10%
|
6%
|
Economist/YouGov | 9/7-9/9 | 9/10 | Obama 41%; McCain 40% |
3 pts.
|
37%
|
45%
|
42%
|
39%
|
16%
|
11%
|
InsiderAdvantage | 9/8 | 9/9 | McCain 46%; Obama 46% |
9 pts.
12 pts. |
42%
|
51%
|
52%
|
40%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Rasmusen Weekly | 9/1-9/7 |
9/8
|
Obama 49%; McCain 46% |
42%
|
50%
|
52%
|
46%
|
6 pts.
|
3%
|
4%
|
CBS | 9/1-9/3 | 9/4 | McCain 42%; Obama 42% |
8 pts.
2 pts. |
38%
|
46%
|
43%
|
41%
|
NA
|
NA
|
Economist/YouGov | 9/1-9/3 | 9/4 | Obama 42%; McCain 39% |
5 pts.
|
33%
|
46%
|
44%
|
39%
|
17%
|
9%
|
© Copyright Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey