Presumptive presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are in a statistical dead heat among likely voters, according to the latest Zogby International poll.

The national Associated TV/Zogby International telephone poll of 1,011 voters surveyed July 31-Aug. 1 finds McCain (R-Arizona) leading 42 percent to 41 percent over Obama (D-Ill.), which represents a sudden turnaround from the Reuters/Zogby poll of July 7-9 that showed Obama ahead, 46 to 36 percent in a four-way race with Libertarian Bob Barr of Georgia and liberal independent Ralph Nader. McCain made big gains among some of Obama’s strongest demographic groups – young adults, women and independents.

The survey, commissioned by Associated TV, included 1,011 likely voters and was conducted July 31-Aug. 1, The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points.

McCain gained 20 percent while Obama lost 16 percent among voters ages 18-29. Obama still leads that group, 49 percent 38.
McCain closed 10 points on Obama among women, although Obama still leads by a 43 percent to 38 percent.
Obama and McCain are tied among independents after Obama held an 11-point lead. Even Democrats have cooled on Obama, dropping from 83 percent support to 74.

Among single voters, Obama’s support slid by 19 to a 51-37 advantage.

Even with African Americans and Hispanics, Obama showed smaller margins of support.

The poll follows what had been described as a blockbuster tour of the Middle East and Europe that was intended to boost Obama’s foreign policy profile.  McCain used the trip as a launch pad to question whether Obama’s popularity abroad would translate into leadership at home.“

The McCain camp seems to have turned lemons into lemonade. Huge crowds and mostly favorable press reviews of Obama’s overseas trip have been trumped by McCain’s attacks on Obama,” said pollster John Zogby. “Loss of support for Obama among young voters may also be due to his perceived reversals on issues they care about, such as the war and government eavesdropping.”

The poll suggests McCain is making gains in winning key battleground states. His numbers improved most in the West and Middle America. Obama’s narrow lead in the central U.S. is now a 45 percent to 36 percent  McCain lead. In the West, Obama’s 15-point lead has evaporated into a 43-40, McCain advantage

Catholics, who favored Obama by 11 points in mid-July, now favor McCain by 15 percent.

Obama has also slipped among college graduates and those with family incomes of $25,000-$35,000.

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