Washington: Democrat Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has opened up an eight-point lead over his rival John McCain in the traditional Republican stronghold of Virginia.

A latest poll by The Washington Post showed Obama now leads McCain by a margin of 52 per cent to 44 per cent.

Virginia, which delivers 13 electoral votes to the US electoral college, had been eyed by the Obama camp from the very beginning as a state that could be added on to the Democratic candidate s list.

No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the so-called Republican fortress since 1964,however Obama was seen as inching his way up in every category of voters.

Obama leads in the categories of the economic challenges and on the issue of the much needed change but trails on who would make a good commander in chief.

Last month Obama had a mere three-point lead that was seen at the time as statistically not too significant.

The poll has shown that Obama is now tied with McCain among college-educated white men and in the process overcoming what had been a near 30-point deficit for the Democrat.

Political analysts have long maintained that the key to Obama s success in Virginia is to look beyond Northern Virginia where the Illinois Democrat now has an almost 2 to 1 advantage over McCain.

There are now indications that Obama has also softened the rural parts of the state that are solidly Republican base and stayed with the party for several decades.
Source : PTI