Newsweek poll: Still double digits with 10 days out

The lead is still very strong and well over 10 points for Barack Obama in the latest Newsweek national poll. Obama is ahead of McCain 53% to 40% with less than two weeks until Election Day.

Demo by demo it looks very good for Obama. He is now leading in every age and class group - even over-65 and working-class whites. Obama’s favorable number continues to shoot up, eclipsing 60% in the new poll  while his unfavorable number is down at 32%. And Sarah Palin is hurting McCain, encumbering the GOP nominee with a running mate who is universally disliked by most voters.

There are concerns for Obama and silver linings for McCain in Newsweek. The McCain campaign attack line about “Joe the Plumber” and the potential for huge tax increases on small businesses under Obama has made an impression with both working-class and middle-class voters.

McCain’s attempt to raise anxiety about Obama’s economic policies—with his relentless focus on Joe the Plumber and his suggestion that an Obama presidency could usher in an era of socialism—seems to have had some effect with working-class voters. In the poll, 39 percent of working-class and poor whites said they would list as a major concern the fear that Obama’s tax plans could hurt small business. The McCain attacks seem to have had a larger impact with middle class and high-income voters, 48 percent of whom deem Obama’s tax policies a major concern.

But Obama is still leading both of those voter groups overall, despite obvious skepticism over the “spreading the wealth” controversy. McCain’s running mate and his inability to handle the economy are more impressive drags on his poll numbers than any of the “Joe” attacks are on Obama.

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