A poll conducted by Suffolk University shows Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) leading Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by 9 percentage points among likely Ohio voters in the race for president.

The poll was conducted October 16 to October 19 among a sample of 600 likely voters with a +/- 4 percent margin of error.

The poll showed Obama getting 51 percent support compared to 42 percent for McCain, and 3 percent undecided. Respondents who said their minds are made up on the election amounted to 87 percent, compared to 10 percent saying they might change their mind.

When asked about the reason driving their vote, 49 percent said their vote was for McCain, with 8 percent saying it was more a vote for McCain running mate Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) and 15 percent saying their vote was against Obama.

This is compared to 71 percent saying their vote was for Obama, with 1 percent saying it was for Obama running mate Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), 10 percent saying it was against McCain and 12 percent saying their vote was against President George W. Bush.

A strong plurality of 49 percent said that they think Obama has the best plan to bring jobs to Ohio, compared to 25 percent for McCain, 12 percent undecided and 8 percent responding neither.

Obama led McCain in trust of the candidates with 51 percent to McCain's 36 percent, and 10 percent undecided.

Regardless of vote, 69 percent of respondents said they would be somewhat, very or extremely comfortable with Obama as president, compared to 24 percent responding that they would not be comfortable at all. As for McCain, 55 percent said they would be somewhat, very or extremely comfortable, compared to 40 percent responding that they would not be comfortable at all.

When asked who they believed would win the 2008 presidential election, regardless of their personal preference, 66 percent said they thought Obama would win, compared to 15 percent for McCain and 17 percent undecided.

The economy and jobs was the most important issue for 51 percent of respondents, while "moral values" came next at 11 percent.

Ohio is on the wrong track according to 41 percent of respondents, while 36 percent say Ohio is on the right track and 26 percent were undecided.

Respondents who were originally supporters of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) accounted for 36 percent of respondents, while 58 percent said they were not.

The poll was conducted among voters from all parts of Ohio, with 13 percent from Cuyahoga, 25 percent from Northeast Ohio, 26 percent from Columbus, 13 percent from Toledo and 24 percent of respondents from the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.

Respondents were 54 percent female to 46 percent male, with 45 percent identifying as Democrats, 31 percent Republicans, 16 percent independent, and 3 percent as other. Also, 85 percent identified as white, while 11 percent of respondents indentified as black and 5 percent as other ethnicities.

In the 2004 presidential election, 43 percent of respondents said they voted for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), while 44 percent said they voted for President Bush.

Attorney General

Suffolk also polled the race for Ohio's next attorney general.

Ohio state Treasurer Richard Cordray (D) recieved 35 percent support in the survey, compared to 22 percent for former U.S. Attorney Mike Crites (R), 6 percent for independent Robert Owens (I-Delaware Co.) and 35 percent undecided.