Americans Blame GOP for Economy by 2-to-1

Voters blame the GOP over Democrats for the Wall Street crisis by a 2-to-1 margin that may be boosting Barack Obama's overall numbers, a new poll says. Nearly half of Americans pinned blame on Republicans while only about a quarter held Democrats responsible. And Obama held a 10-point lead among voters looking for a president who can handle the economy, CNN reports.

Meanwhile, Obama held a 5-point nationwide lead over McCain. "Two core McCain constituencies" are giving him a boost, a CNN analyst said. "Men, who now narrowly favor Obama, and seniors, who have also flipped from McCain to Obama." Said another: "The CNN Poll of Polls started to show an Obama edge in the middle of last week—just as the financial crisis began to hit home for many Americans." (More economy stories.)