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This poll, fielded September 27-29, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,271 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Information was collected on how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race and the chances that they would vote in the upcoming presidential election in November. Respondents were also queried on which candidate they would vote for in the presidential election and who they would like to see win the Democratic nomination. Information was collected on impressions of the vice presidential nominees Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. Respondents were asked what was the single most important issue in their choice for president. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency and the economy. Several questions asked respondents to compare Barack Obama and John McCain, and which candidate they trusted to handle issues such as the war in Iraq, energy policy, international affairs, the economy, and taxes. Information was collected on respondents opinions of the presidential debate, specifically who they thought had won and whether it had changed their opinion of either candidate. Respondents were queried on the country's current financial situation and whether they thought it was a serious problem. Respondents were also asked whether they supported the government's bailout of financial institutions and whether they thought the government's efforts would prevent the country's current financial situation from getting worse. Additional questions asked respondents who they thought was to blame for the current financial situation, whether they thought the government's bailout plan did enough to help major financial institutions, the United States economy, and ordinary Americans. Demographic variables include sex, age, marital status, race, income, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.