PRINCETON, NJ -- Barack Obama has a 51% to 41% lead over John McCain in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking report involving interviewing conducted Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights.

These results show little major change in the basic structure of the race, although McCain did somewhat better in Thursday night interviewing, suggesting the possibility that the race may have some fluidity in the days ahead. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.)

The major news of the day is the economic crisis and its dramatic effect on the world's financial markets, which to some degree drowns out the typical campaign back and forth that characterizes the presidential race at this point. About half of Americans indicate in Gallup's economic tracking measures that they personally had worried about money the day before they were interviewed, underscoring the major impact the economy is having on Americans' lives and the degree to which their presidential choice may be filtered through the prism of economic angst. The next and final presidential debate will be held Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Hofstra University in New York. -- Frank Newport

(Click here to see how the race currently breaks down by demographic subgroup.)

Survey Methods

For the Gallup Poll Daily tracking survey, Gallup is interviewing no fewer than 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide each day during 2008.

The general-election results are based on combined data from Oct. 7-9, 2008. For results based on this sample of 2,784 registered voters, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on landline telephones (for respondents with a landline telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.