Obama fights back

SCRIPT:

Barack Obama punched back after Republican speakers bashed him at their nominating convention Tuesday night.

Campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio, the Democratic presidential nominee criticized his rival for sidestepping the issues.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) BARACK OBAMA, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE, SAYING:

"John McCain's campaign manager said that this election is not going to be about the issues. It's going to be about personalities. That's a quote. It's not going to be about issues. It's going to be about personalities, which probably explains why last night they were speaking, all these speakers came up, you did not hear a single word about the economy."

Obama has reason to smile. The latest public opinion polls show that he has gotten a good bounce from the Democratic convention that nominated him last week.

After hitting the 50 percent support mark for the first time on Tuesday, Gallup's daily tracking poll on Wednesday had him leading Republican John McCain 49 percent to 43 percent. Just nine days ago, the two were deadlocked. The website that averages out all national polls, Real Clear Politics, also has the Democrat with a nearly 6 percentage point lead.

Gallup says any impact of speeches given by McCain and his pick for vice president, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, may not be reflected in polls until the weekend.

Fred Katayama, Reuters.