Florida Poll Released by Research 2000 for Sun Sentinel: Barack Obama 45%, John McCain 46%

Here are the latest results from the Florida poll by Research 2000 for Sun Sentinel published on USAElectionPolls.com:

There were 600 voters polled on 9/15-18.

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Quote:

Forty percent of voters who back the Republican said the choice of Palin made them more likely to vote for McCain, while 34 percent said the choice made it less likely they would vote for the GOP ticket. Those who describe themselves as born-again Christians, often the most conservative voters in the electorate, said the choice of the conservative hockey mom made them 60 percent more likely to vote for McCain.

Among those who back Obama, 36 percent said his selection of Joe Biden cemented their support, while 28 percent said the choice made them less likely to vote for the ticket.

As far as bridging the gender gap, the Palin pick didn't seem to help McCain in Florida. Women favor Obama by five percentage points, while men favor McCain by 11 percentage points. McCain leads among women who have children at home -- with a 47 to 46 percent edge.

The poll asked voters an open-ended question: Describe the first thing that springs to mind when the vice presidential candidates' names are mentioned. Palin elicited responses from ''refreshing change'' to ''Oh, my God, help us.'' Biden elicited responses from ''man of experience'' to ``blowhard.''

There is clearly a steep racial divide among voters, with white voters choosing McCain over Obama 55 to 38 percent, and Obama with a near-lock on black voters, with 92 percent to McCain's 2 percent. Hispanic voters prefer McCain over Obama 51 to 41 percent.

Of white voters, 47 percent pick McCain to improve the economy and 42 percent pick Obama. Among black voters, 95 percent trust Obama on economic issues while only 2 percent favor McCain. And among Hispanic voters, 47 percent favor McCain to handle the economy while 45 percent pick Obama.

McCain also has more partisan crossover appeal: 16 percent of those who support him are registered Democrats and, among former Hillary Clinton supporters, he draws 17 percent support. Both Conway and Eldon say that the Republican presidential candidate in Florida typically draws at least 15 percent of the Democratic vote. By contrast, 12 percent of Obama's supporters are registered Republicans. Among voters who register no party affiliation, McCain draws 44 percent to Obama's 41 percent. "It's competitive, no question, and obviously the economy is the top issue," said Del Ali of Research 2000, an independent pollster who conducted the telephone survey.

"What took place on Wall Street this week helped Obama in Florida," Ali said. "His numbers went up with each day we polled. For him to win Florida, it's obviously important for the economy to stay the top issue."

Women in the poll favored Obama over McCain 48 percent to 41 percent. Men favored McCain by 51 percent to 42 percent.

In South Florida, where Democrats predominate, 58 percent of those polled intend to vote for Obama. McCain's strongest area was Northeast Florida, where he was favored by 56 percent.

The region that could tip the race is the Tampa area, where 47 percent intend to vote for McCain and 46 percent back Obama.

Source: State Primary Polls, Electoral College Results