McCain tours heartland as new polls show Obama economic edge

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A flurry of new polls in vital White House battlegrounds Tuesdayshowed Democrat Barack Obama getting a clear boost from thefinancial crisis as voters blame Republicans for the meltdown.
Fresh Quinnipiac University surveys in Colorado, Michigan,Minnesota and Wisconsin put Obama ahead, exactly six weeks fromelection day, and offered troubling warning signs for RepublicanJohn McCain.
But the Arizona senator sought to land fresh blows on the economyin the heartland, touring a vast, dusty construction project and afactory which makes nuclear power plant supplies in anotherbattleground, Ohio.
"I know that a lot of eyes have been on Wall Street and Washingtonfor the past week as we all process the credit crisis," McCainsaid, accepting the endorsement of a local construction union inStrongsville, outside Cleveland.
"But I want the people here in Ohio to know that I have notforgotten the economy on Main Street," McCain said.
McCain vowed to create employment with pro-growth economicpolicies, and argued that Obama's plans would result in highertaxes and "kill jobs."
The latest poll average by RealClearPolitics.com gives McCain a 1.8percent edge in Ohio, a microcosm of the US electoral map withurban areas which lean Democratic and suburbs and country regionswhich are more conservative.
Ohio is a vital state in any route to the White House, and wasdecisive in 2004 in returning President George W. Bush to power, atthe expense of Democrat John Kerry.
Obama was meanwhile hunkered down in Florida, always a focal pointof any candidate's bid to win over swing voters, to prepare forFriday's first high-stakes presidential debate clash inMississippi.
The new sheaf of Quinnipiac polls offered the latest sign thatObama's advantage over McCain on the economy and his strategy oftying his rival to unpopular President George W. Bush may be payingoff.
In Colorado, Obama leads McCain by 49 to 45 percent. Last month,the Republican was up by one point in Colorado, 47-46 percent inthe Quinnipiac survey.
In Michigan, which has been badly hit by the flight of blue-collarjobs overseas, Obama leads McCain 48 to 44 percent, compared to46-42 percent on July 24.
In Minnesota, Obama held a two percentage point lead of 47 to 45percent, compared to 46 to 44 percent in late July.
In midwestern Wisconsin, Obama led by 49 to 42 percent, althoughhis advantage has narrowed from 50 to 39 percent in July.
"With a lousy economy, an unpopular war and an even less popularRepublican president, it's difficult to find voters who don't wantchange," said Peter Brown, assistant director of Quinnipiac'spolling institute.
"The Wall Street meltdown while these polls were in the fieldprobably fed the public desire for change and seemed to benefitSenator Obama," Brown said.
Obama is widely perceived as the candidate of change in the fourkey states, by 19 to 24 point margins, Quinnipiac said.
Voters in all four battlegrounds said the economy was the top issuein the November 4 election and in three of the four states saidObama was better equipped to handle it.
In Minnesota, voters were equally split on which candidate bestunderstands the economy (45 to 45 percent).
McCain was stumping in Ohio and was set to move on to Michigan onTuesday as his vice presidential pick Sarah Palin was taking herfirst steps onto the international stage on the sidelines of the UNGeneral Assembly.
The Alaska governor was set to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai,Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and former US secretary of stateand foreign policy guru Henry Kissinger.
Democrats complain Palin lacks foreign policy experience and themeetings, and more world leader encounters planned for Thursday,will offer her ammunition for her vice presidential debate withDemocrat Joseph Biden on October 2.
Obama was preparing in Tampa, Florida, a swing district in a swingstate, with top aides for Friday's debate on foreign policy, whichprovides a golden chance for each candidate to land a heavy blow.
"It's a challenging debate for us," Obama's senior strategist DavidAxelrod said, starting the game of downplaying expectations aheadof the clash.
"Senator McCain has repeatedly made the point about his extensiveforeign policy experience."