Sixty-five percent of voters are very or somewhat confident that Barack Obama will be able to turn around the economy while 33 percent are not too confident or not confident at all, according to a Newsweek/ Princeton Research poll conducted March 4-5. That's a net 13 point swing towards fewer people expressing confidence in Obama than Newsweek's mid-January poll.

When it comes to Obama's $787.2 billion economic stimulus plan, 40 percent call it a good start but say more spending is needed, 37 percent say it won't work and 15 percent say it's the right amount.

Two-thirds of Americans are very or somewhat optimistic that the new Obama administration will improve conditions in the country, although there is a partisan divide with 55 percent of Republicans being very or somewhat pessimistic compared to the 36 percent who are optimistic, according to a Newsweek poll conducted Jan. 14-15. And 51 percent of Americans have developed a more favorable view since he became President-elect, including 29 percent of Republicans. The one area in which Republicans and Democrats strongly agree is that Congress should look for ways to work with Obama.

Majorities ranging from 60 percent to almost 80 percent express confidence that Obama will turn the economy around, bring troops home from Iraq, improve U.S. relations around the world, decrease U.S. dependence on oil, and make health care more accessible and affordable. The only issue on which less than a majority express confidence is on whether he can defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Only forty-eight percent voiced confidence in him to do that.

Barack Obama is leading John McCain 53 percent to 40 percent with 1 percent preferring some other candidate and 6 percent undecided. in a Newsweek poll conducted Oct. 22-23. The margin of error for all adults is 3.6 percent for registered voters. Obama had led by 11 earlier this month and was tied with McCain in Newsweek's Sept. 10-11 poll. Obama's favorable to unfavorable ratio is 62 percent to 32 percent while McCain's is 50 percent to 44 percent.

The biggest demographic and party identification gaps are Obama's 8 point lead among independents, his 13 point lead among women, his 63 point lead among non-whites, and double-digit leads among voters under 64. McCain's biggest advantage is his 65 percent to 29 percent lead among white evangelicals.

If voters could cast ballots separately for Vice President, Joseph Biden would beat Sarah Palin 54 percent to 37 percent. She is viewed unfavorably by 46 percent of voters and favorably by 44 percent. Twenty-two percent of voters said the choice of Palin as running mate made them "a lot less likely to vote for McCain." They said by 55 percent to 40 percent that she was not qualified to step in as President. Voters say by 57 percent to 35 percent that Palin is not well-informed on foreign policy. And while 70 percent find her personally likeable, voters say by 47 percent to 39 percent that she has mostly made unfair personal attacks on her opponents on the campaign trail. As far as the now-famous $150,000 shopping foray Palin made with the help of RNC money, 68 percent said it did not affect their image of her as a reformer with small town values while 27 percent said it did.

Barack Obama has jumped out to a 52 percent to 41 percent lead among registered voters with 1 percent preferring someone else and 6 percent undecided in a Newsweek poll conducted Oct. 8 - 9. The margin of error is 3.8 percent. The two were tied in its Sept. 10-11 poll. Obama's favorable to unfavorable numbers are 60 percent to 36 percent while MCain's are 51 percent to 45 percent.

Voters said by 53 percent to 43 percent they believe Obama has enough experience to be President. They say by 55 percent to 39 percent that Sarah Palin does not if she had to step into the office.

As the McCain campaign struggles to find its voice in terms of how hard, or not, to go on the attack against Obama, the poll said that 56 percent of voters who have seen McCain TV ads say they are too negative and 58 percent describe them as misleading or distorted. Twenty-nine percent called Obama's ads too negative and 36 percent said they were misleading or distorted.

Barack Obama and John McCain are tied at 46 percent each with 8 percent undecided in a Newsweek poll conducted Sept. 10-11. The margin of error is 3.8 percent. They run evenly among independents. Obama had led by 3 points in this poll in July. A little ominously for Obama, 77 percent of former Hillary Clinton supporters are supporting him, but 16 percent say they will back McCain. The survey also shows McCain gains on the issues of the economy, energy and Iraq.

McCain leads among white voters by 55 percent to 37 percent. White evangelicals and white Catholics back McCain by margins of 47 percent and 26 percent respectively. Obama leads among non-whites by 75 percent to 17 percent.

The most important factor in the campaign for Obama supporters is ability to bring about change followed by his positions on the issues. For McCain backers, three factors rank about equally - positions on the issues, experience and leadership. Voters overall say by 51 percent to 27 percent that Obama is the more likely to bring change.

Barack Obama's lead in Newsweek's latest polling has shrunk from the 51 percent to 36 percent advantage he had in the survey conducted June 18-19 to a 44 percent to 41 percent dead heat with 15 percent of voters saying they were undecided. The new poll was conducted July 9-10.The margin of error is 3 points.

(Gallup's daily tracking poll today, based on interviews July 9-11, has Obama ahead 47 percent to 43 percent with a 2 point margin of error).

In the latest Newsweek poll, McCain has taken the lead among independents 41 percent to 34 percent compared to Obama's 48 percent to 36 percent advantage in June. However, the number of undecided independents has gone up from 16 percent to 25 percent. Obama's lead among women voters has fallen from 21 points to 6 points. McCain had also opened up a lead among white voters, going from a statistical tie in June to a 12 point edge in the latest survey. Obama has not made much headway in picking up more Hillary Clinton supporters. Sixty-nine percent said in June, after he clinched the nomination, that they would back him and that has only increased by a point.

If you've been watching Presidential preference polls over the past week, you might feel a bit whipsawed.

For the second straight day, Gallup's daily tracking poll Thursday has John McCain and Barack Obama tied. Both candidates dropped a point from yesterday's tracking poll, down to 44 percent. The margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points.