Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is ahead of Republican rival John McCain in polls taken nationwide and in some states.

Obama led McCain 53 percent to 43 percent among likely voters in a Washington Post-ABC News poll Oct. 8-11. The survey had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. McCain's decision to spend more time attacking Obama's qualifications than focusing on issues of concern to voters may have hurt him as McCain now has higher negative ratings than Obama, the Post said.

Illinois Senator Obama's edge in national polls is, on average, more than 7 percentage points, according to the Web site realclearpolitics.com. He was ahead in polls in Florida and Iowa while McCain claimed the advantage in Alabama. The two were statistically tied in Georgia, North Carolina and one Ohio poll.

"When the economy's in crisis, people want real answers," Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a Democrat, said yesterday on the "Fox News Sunday" program. "Senator Obama has lengthened his lead, and that should be a clear message to the McCain campaign" that recent personal attacks on Obama aren't working, Rendell said.

A Muhlenberg College tracking poll showed Obama holding a 12-point lead in Pennsylvania with a 4-point margin of error.

Polls show that voters trust Obama more than McCain on handling the economy, and the Arizona senator has lost ground as voters focus more on the financial crisis.

Obama, 47, is scheduled to speak on the economy today at 1:30 p.m. local time in Toledo, Ohio. He'll offer a "rescue plan" for the middle class, his campaign said.

Florida, Ohio

In Florida, Obama was ahead 49 percent to 44 percent for McCain, according to a survey of 600 likely voters taken Oct. 6-8 by Research 2000. The survey had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

In Iowa, Obama led 54 percent to 41 percent, according to a SurveyUSA poll of 692 likely voters conducted Oct. 8-9.

In Colorado, Obama was ahead 52 percent to 42 percent, according to a Public Policy Polling survey of 1,331 likely voters conducted Oct. 8-10.

An Ohio newspaper poll taken Oct. 4-8 of 876 likely voters found that McCain had 48 percent support to Obama's 46 percent, within the survey's margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.

Another Ohio poll — this one taken Oct. 9 of 509 likely voters by InsiderAdvantage/Poll Position — had Obama leading McCain 49 percent to 44 percent. That poll's margin of error of was 4 percentage points.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, McCain led 48 percent to 46 percent, according to a WSCO-TV poll taken Oct. 6-7 with a sampling error of 4.5 percentage points.

In Georgia, McCain led Obama 49-46 percent, according to an Oct. 9 Insider Advantage/Poll Position survey of 531 likely voters with a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Each candidate still has solid leads in states that traditionally go for his party. In Alabama, a Survey USA poll in taken Oct. 8-9 showed McCain, 72, leading 62 percent to 35 percent among 697 likely and actual voters.

In Oregon, Obama led McCain by 54 percent to 43 percent in a Rasmussen survey of 700 likely voters taken on Oct. 9 with a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

In Vermont, an Oct. 6 Rasmussen poll gave Obama a lead of 65 percent to 32 percent for McCain.