Polls: Post-Convention Bounce Puts Obama Up, Map Still Tight

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama emerged from the Democratic convention with a measurable bounce, new polls show, leading John McCain by as much as 8 points nationally — though the state-by-state map that decides the presidency remains stubbornly close.

A Gallup daily tracking poll taken after Obama's stadium speech in Denver showed the Democrat opening his widest lead of the campaign. Other surveys put the race closer, in the low single digits.

Pollsters caution that convention bounces are famously perishable, and the Republican gathering in St. Paul — whenever it resumes — traditionally produces one of its own.

Beneath the national numbers, the contest remains a handful of state fights. Obama is contesting Republican territory from Virginia to Colorado; McCain is pressing Michigan and Pennsylvania, states Democrats can rarely afford to lose.

The undercurrent is historic: surveys show most voters say the nation is ready to elect a Black president, but a meaningful minority — how meaningful is the pollsters' great uncertainty — says race will influence their vote.

"This is the most open election since 1952 — no incumbent, no heir, a war, an economy in distress and a barrier-breaking candidacy," a Pew Research analyst said. "The only safe prediction is volatility."

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Associated Press writers contributed to this report.

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