Poll: Obama 53%, McCain 43%

Barack Obama continues to rise in the polls just as John McCain falls, with the latest numbers giving the Democrat a 10-point lead over his opponent, reports the Washington Post. Voters also gave Obama a clear lead on taxes and leadership for the first time in the election. McCain, meanwhile, is seen as too focused on attacking Obama, and is losing support even among his base. 

Pollsters note that mid-October leads don’t guarantee victory, but closing such a large gap this late in the game would be unprecedented. McCain must also contend with a shrinking number of swing voters and rock-bottom approval ratings for George W. Bush—whose policies McCain has been linked to by 51% of voters. The embattled candidate did manage to gain ground on the question of his trustworthiness.
(More Election 2008 stories.)