Poll: Obama leads McCain by 7 points

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Barack Obama has a 7-point lead over Republican John McCain, a Time nationwide poll indicates.

The new Time poll shows Obama leads McCain 50 percent to 43 percent. The poll marks for the first time Obama reached the 50 percent threshold for the first time in the general election campaign.

A month ago, before the presidential nominating convention, in the Time poll Obama led McCain 46 percent to 41 percent.

The poll indicates that McCain's support among female voters has decreased. Obama now leads McCain among women by 17 points, up from 10 points before the conventions.

"The fact that Obama's numbers are at this level after a bruising year of attacks from McCain and Hillary Clinton appears to validate his strategy of nurturing and protecting his 'character" points,'" Time's analysis said.

The poll of 1,133 likely voters was conducted between Sept. 26 and Sept. 29. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.