New York: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has surged to a 15-point lead over his Republican rival John McCain, according to a latest poll survey.

The survey conducted by Newsweek magazine shows Obama gained support from 51 per cent of the registered voters across the country while McCain's base has shrunken to 36 per cent, showing a steep fall from the last poll.

The poll, the first one after former First Lady Hillary Clinton withdrew from the contest and endorsed Obama's candidature, also reveals that young voters favour Obama.

Analysts said that it is no surprise with President George Bush rock bottom approval rating dragging McCain down. In the previous Newsweek poll, completed in late May when Clinton was in fray for the Democratic nomination, Obama managed no better than a 46 per cent tie with McCain.

However, noted pollster Larry Hugick attribute the tally to all the mutual mudslinging going on between the two Democrats leader that time. By contrast, Clinton has not only endorsed Obama but has made plans to campaign with him recently.

"They were in a pitched battle, and that's going to impact things. Now that we've gotten away from that period, this is the kind of bounce they've been talking about," said Hugick. Another significant finding of the new poll is that only 14 per cent of Americans are satisfied with the direction of the country. That matches the previous low point on this measure recorded in June 1992, when a brief recession contributed to Bill Clinton's victory over Bush's father, George H W Bush.

The new poll has revealed that the voters, in general, see Obama as the preferred agent of "change" by a margin of 51 per cent to 27 per cent. Younger voters, in particular, are more likely to see Obama that way as those are at 18 to 39 favour him by 66 per cent to 27 per cent.

The two candidates are statistically tied among older voters.  Obama's current lead also reflects the large party-identification advantage as the Democrats now enjoy 55 per cent of all voters call themselves Democrats or say they lean toward the party while just 36 per cent call themselves Republicans or lean that way.

Even as McCain seeks to gain voters by distancing himself from the "unpopular" Bush and emphasising his maverick image, he is suffering from the GOP's poor reputation among many voters, the poll says.

However, expert feels that history still provides hope for the GOP. Hugick points out that in May 1988 when the primaries ended, Democrat Michael Dukakis enjoyed a 54 per cent to 38 per cent lead over George H W Bush. But Bush wound up winning handily.

"Those results should give people pause," Hugick says, adding that a substantial number of voters, about 5 per cent, have also moved into the undecided column.  For now, however, Obama is running much stronger at this point in the race than his two most recent Democratic predecessors, John Kerry and Vice President Al Gore, who both failed in their bids to win the White House.

Source : PTI