Independents flocking to McCain

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By S.A. Miller

Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has gotten a jolt of support right where he wanted it - from the independent voters whom he courted so aggressively at last week's convention - and now holds a healthy lead over his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, in the chase for that key constituency.

A Gallup Poll to be released Tuesday shows that Mr. McCain's backing among independent voters jumped 12 percentage points in recent days, providing welcome news for a Republican candidate who has been torn between nurturing his maverick appeal to independents and trying to appease the party's conservative base.

He somehow satisfied both groups at the party convention last week in St. Paul, Minn., where he energized core Republican voters by naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, but also emphasized the ticket's commitment to changing Washington through bipartisanship.

"Clearly, he is moving on the independents," Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport said of the new survey that helps explain how Mr. McCain of Arizona gained ground.

The poll shows support for Mr. McCain among independents spiked from 40 percent to 52 percent, his largest share of the independent vote since Gallup began tracking the race.

Mr. McCain also gained five points among Democrats, from 9 percent to 14 percent.

Compounding Mr. Obama's challenges, about 29 percent of former rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's backers - more than 5 million voters - say they will cast their ballots for Mr. McCain, according to pollster John Zogby.

"He's a good candidate and a resilient fellow. We've just got to see how resilient a guy he is," Mr. Zogby said.

Mr. McCain took a 49 percent to 44 percent lead Monday in the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll of registered voters, a six-point bounce for Mr. McCain since before the convention. A USA Today/Gallup Poll published Monday showed him opening a 10-point lead over Mr. Obama of Illinois, 54 percent to 44 percent, among likely voters.

These are the largest advantages that Mr. McCain has scored in months. He had consistently trailed Mr. Obama in most polls throughout the race.