Election-Eve MedPage Today(R) Poll Gives Obama Double-Digit Lead Among ...( Although lead has eroded since pr...),Health

Although lead has eroded since previous poll, Democratic contender still enjoys broad support

LITTLE FALLS, N.J., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In the waning days of the 2008 Presidential Campaign, healthcare providers still favor Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by a sizable margin, according to an online poll conducted by MedPage Today, LLC (http://www.MedPageToday.com).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081103/NY43443 )

Asked to choose which candidate they would vote for "if the election were held today," 56% of 2,598 medical providers picked Obama, while 39% pulled the virtual lever for McCain. Two percent picked "other," and 2% were undecided.

This MedPage Today poll shows some interesting differences from one conducted a month ago. In the earlier poll, Obama's support was three points higher at 59%, while McCain's was lower by four points (35%) among those queried. During the last four weeks, the spread between the two candidates shrunk from 24 percentage points to 17. Results also differ starkly from a year-ago poll of MedPageToday.com visitors, when the clear frontrunner was Hillary Clinton (31%), followed by the Republican "other" slot (19%) and Obama (14%).

"MedPage Today conducted this poll to take the pulse of readers going into Election Day," said Robert Stern, President and CEO of MedPage Today. "It's not surprising that we see some movement this late in the race, as more voters--healthcare providers among them--make up their minds and grapple over the candidates' positions on the most pressing issues."

Comments left by many of the respondents reveal where they agree and disagree with the candidates. Those who disagree with McCain mention taxes and the economy.

Robert DeWeese, M.D., says, "Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress
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