WASHINGTON, Sept 17: Democrat Barack Obama has a 2-point lead in the US presidential race on Republican John McCain, whose choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate helped shore up support for both candidates, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Obama leads McCain among likely voters by 47 per cent to 45 per cent, within the poll’s 3.1 per cent margin of error. He gained ground in the last month among independent and women voters and on the question of who could best manage the faltering US economy.

Obama wiped out McCain’s 5-point edge in a Reuters/Zogby poll taken in August before the nominating conventions.

“We’re back to where we always thought we would be – in a very competitive race,” pollster John Zogby said.

The poll, taken Thursday through Saturday, follows a hectic month in the race to the Nov 4 election as both parties held their nominating conventions and both candidates selected their vice-presidential running mates.

McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin, an anti-abortion first-term governor from Alaska, as his No 2 set off a political firestorm that helped stoke conservative enthusiasm for the Republican ticket.

But Zogby said Palin also helped solidify Democratic support for Obama. “For the last few weeks it’s been all about Palin and she has been a divisive force,” he said. “She has shored up the base for both candidates.”

Obama, who struggled to solidify Democrats in August when just 74 per cent backed him, now has the support of 89 per cent of Democrats. McCain’s support among Republicans grew from 81 per cent last month to 89 per cent.

Nearly one-third of likely voters said the choice of Palin made them more likely to support McCain and nearly one-quarter said it made them less likely. About 43 per cent said it would have no effect.—Reuters