Barack Obama has a statistically insignificant 48 percent to 46 percent lead over John McCain among registered voters with two percent choosing neither and 3 percent undecided in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey conducted Sept. 19-22. The margin of error is 3 points and the numbers includes leaners. Obama had led by 3 points in August and by 6 points in July. This poll differs from this week's Washington Post/ABC News and Fox News which both had Obama regaining statistically significant leads.

John McCain and Barack Obama are in a statistical dead heat with Obama leading 47 percent to 46 percent with 4 percent liking neither and 8 percent undecided in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted Sept. 6-8. The margin of error is 3.3 percent. Olbama had led by 3 points in this poll in August and by 6 in June and July. The number of McCain supporters who described themselves as excited jumped from 12 percent in August to 34 percent. That number also rose some for Obama, from 46 percent to 55 percent. Joseph Biden made less difference to the ticket in terms of whether voters were more or less likely to back the Democrats because of his selection with 58 percent saying it made no difference. But for Palin, a lesser 40 percent said it made no difference with 34 percent now more likely to vote for McCain and 25 percent less likely.