Special Report: U.S. presidential election 2008

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- New polls show a small boost for U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama after his first debate with Republican foe John McCain last Friday, the U.S. News and World Report said Monday.

    Obama's poll numbers have ticked up nationally since the debate, the first of three presidential debates scheduled this year, according to it.

Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (L) and Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama stand together onstage after the first U.S. presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi, September 26, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The Gallup daily presidential tracking poll taken Sept. 25-27 shows the senator from Illinois leading McCain 50 to 42 percent as the Rasmussen poll for Sept. 28 says Obama leading McCain 50 to 44 percent.

    The Los Angeles Times also said the debate appears to have helped Obama slightly widen a lead over his Republican opponent as a post-debate Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg survey shows.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (R) makes a point as U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain listens during the first U.S. presidential debate at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, September 26, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Registered voters who watched the debate preferred Obama, 49 to44 percent, according to the poll taken over three days after the showdown in Oxford, Miss.

    The USA Today said the first debate helped Obama slightly expand his support as a USA TODAY/Gallup poll taken on Sept. 27 picked Obama over McCain when asked which candidate offered the best proposals to solve the country's problems, 52 to 35 percent.

    However, in a countervailing view, the Washington Post thought Obama "may have won the polls after Friday's debate here at the University of Mississippi, but the McCain team won the spin war."