Poll: Obama maintains edge in Colorado

DENVER — The most recent presidential debate did not change Colorado’s mind.

A telephone poll shows Democrat Barack Obama maintained his margin over

Republican John McCain among Colorado voters after their Oct. 7 debate.

A telephone poll of about 1,000 likely voters taken before and after the debate showed Obama with 52 percent of the vote and McCain with 43 percent of the vote.

However, Obama did widen his lead to 11 points among independent voters, the largest bloc in Colorado. Independent voters also said Obama won the debate by a 3-to-1 margin.

A narrow majority of both male and female voters said Alaska’s Republican Gov. Sarah Palin is unqualified to be vice president. The poll indicated that women were slightly more likely than men to doubt her qualifications, 52 percent to 51 percent.