Poll: Obama surges past McCain in Minn.

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Barack Obama has opened up a commanding lead over his Republican opponent in Minnesota, a poll indicates.

The Minnesota Poll indicates Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, has broken open what was formerly a tight race in Minnesota by jumping out to a 55 percent to 37 percent lead over Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Star Tribune reported Sunday.

The poll showed a big difference from a September survey when McCain and Obama were locked in a virtual dead heat. Respondents indicated Obama's surge in the state was attributable to their belief in his ability to better deal with the nation's worsening economy, as well as his performance in the first presidential debate, the Minneapolis newspaper said.

Poll respondents also made a marked shift from September in party affiliations. Forty-two percent of respondents identified themselves as Democrats in the newer poll, up from 34 percent in September, while the percentage calling themselves Republicans dropped from 31 percent to 26 percent in the same period.

The poll, conducted Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 among 1,084 likely voters, has a 3.7 percentage-point error margin.