ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, October 2008

This poll, fielded October 8-11, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,101 adults was surveyed, including oversamples of African Americans and 18- to 29-year-olds, for a total of 150 African American respondents and 201 respondents aged 18 to 29 years. Respondents were asked whether the Democratic or Republican party could be trusted to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, whether things in the country were going in the right direction, and how concerned they were about the national economy. Views were sought on whether the Democratic or Republican party could be trusted to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, their opinions of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, for whom they would vote in the general election in November, which candidate had the best chance of getting elected, and how comfortable respondents would be with a president who was African American and a president over the age of 72.
Economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living, the most difficult economic issue affecting their family, particularly personal finances, the stock market, and the ability to obtain bank loans. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, political party affiliation, voter registration status and participation history, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, military service, household income, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.