DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Democrat Barack Obama has a solid lead over Republican John McCain in Ohio thanks to overwhelming support from black voters, according to a new presidential poll.

The poll from Public Policy Polling of Raleigh, N.C., showed Obama leading McCain 48-42 percent overall in Ohio among likely voters, but 91-6 percent among black voters. McCain led 46-42 percent among white voters.

"McCain's only hope is to get more white votes," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. "He's not going to move the black vote at all."

The Ohio results track closely with the results of a national Quinnipiac University poll released July 15 that showed Obama, in line to be the first major party black presidential nominee, leading 50-41 percent overall, but 94-1 percent among blacks. Among whites, McCain led 49-42 percent.

The poll also found a gender split, with Obama leading 54-34 percent among women but McCain ahead among men, 48-41 percent. The poll was taken with 1,058 likely voters from Thursday, July 17, to Sunday, July 20, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

Meanwhile, veterans supporting McCain and Obama held dueling press conferences on Monday, July 21, in Dayton and Columbus to make the case for their candidates as Obama continued an overseas trip.

In Columbus, Tom Moe, who was a prisoner of war with McCain in North Vietnam, said Obama and others were "pandering" by setting a public deadline for bringing troops home from Iraq.

"It allows the other side, I'm talking about the people who hate America, to set their own schedule," said Moe.

But in Dayton, disabled Vietnam veteran Roger Tackett, now a Democratic Clark County commissioner, said Republicans tend to misrepresent where veterans are politically.

"The opposition party continues to think that they are the only ones who have veterans that sacrificed for this great country of ours," said Tackett. "Veterans are independent of political parties. They need to choose who is best in their interest."

Kimberly Amedro contributed to this report.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

McCain to discuss cancer

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, a cancer survivor, will be back in Ohio on Thursday, July 24, to talk about dealing with the disease.

McCain is scheduled to appear at a Presidential Town Hall on Cancer at 7 p.m. at the Ohio State University as part of the Livestrong Summit, sponsored by the Lance Armstrong foundation.

Armstrong, a cancer survivor and seven-time winner of the Tour de France, will moderate the event. For more information, go to www.livestrong.org.