Gallup poll finds Obama widening lead

PRINCETON, N.J., July 22 (UPI) -- Likely Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama has taken a 6-percentage-point lead over his probable Republican opponent, a poll indicates.

Obama, D-Ill., was favored by 47 percent of the respondents to a Gallup organization daily tracking poll released Tuesday, while U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., scored 41 percent, the pollsters said.

Tuesday's results, from a poll conducted July 18-20, included Sunday, when Obama began a Middle Eastern tour with a visit to Afghanistan. Gallup polled 2,653 registered voters and said the survey had an error margin of 2 percentage points.

"It is unclear at this point whether the trip will boost Obama's poll standing but his performance in Sunday interviewing was one of his stronger in Gallup Poll Daily tracking and his current 6-percentage-point lead is among the largest he has held over McCain to date," the pollsters said.