Gallup: Obama 47, McCain 42

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Likely Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama has a 5-point lead over likely Republican rival Sen. John McCain, a Gallup Poll indicates.

Obama, D-Ill., held a 47 percent-to-42 percent edge over McCain, R-Ariz., in voter preference, Gallup Poll results released Saturday indicate. The results were based on a three-day rolling average of interviews with 2,686 registered voters conducted Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Gallup said.

The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

"The numbers for each of these nights have been similar, suggesting preferences are stable," Gallup's Jeff Jones reported on the Princeton, N.J. company's Web site. "Generally speaking, the structure of the race remains as it has been since early June, with Obama holding a modest advantage over McCain."