Obama lead drops to 5 points in US race

“Things are trending back for McCain. His numbers are rising and Obama’s are dropping on a daily basis. There seems to be a direct correlation between this and McCain talking about the economy,” pollster John Zogby said.

Obama, 47, took the lead in most national polls in recent weeks as the financial crisis and plunging stock market seized center stage ahead of the Nov. 4 election.

McCain, 72, appeared slow to respond to Obama’s financial message but in recent days has ramped up the economic themes of his own campaign. On Saturday the Arizona Republican warned voters of the dangers of what he termed a Democratic take-over in both the White House and Congress.

Obama has countered by seeking to link McCain’s proposals to the policies of outgoing Republican President George W. Bush, who fares very poorly in public approval surveys.

Obama’s lead among voters making less than $35,000 per year remains substantial at a little over 70 percent. But McCain, who had previously scored well only with the highest income brackets, now holds slight leads among voters in all income groups starting at $35,000 and above.

“You’ve got to think that it is tax-and-spend that concerns them. Is McCain starting to connect with the middle class?” Zogby said.