Since primaries concluded in early June, presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama has narrowly led Republican John McCain in nearly every national poll. But polls released this week show the tide might be turning, which is good news for McCain.

Many organizations conduct polling, and findings vary from poll to poll. For example, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll conducted from August 15 to August 18 found Obama’s lead at two percentage points – which falls within the poll’s margin of error, making the race a “statistical tie,” the Los Angeles Times says. This same poll reported Obama’s lead at 12 percentage points in June. Meanwhile, a Reuters/Zogby poll conducted from August 14 to 16 shows McCain leading by five percentage points.

McCain’s lead, the first reported by Reuters/Zogby’s general election polls, might be because he is persuading Americans he is better prepared to handle the issue that matters most to them: the economy. Forty-nine percent of those polled said McCain would be the better manager of the economy, compared to 40 percent who said the same of Obama. Until recently, polls indicated that voters were favoring Obama on that issue.

“There is no doubt the campaign to discredit Obama is paying off for McCain right now,” pollster John Zogby said about his findings. McCain’s campaign recently sharpened its criticism of the Democratic candidate’s economic policies in a series of negative ads that appear to be resonating with voters.You can see some of these ads on McCain’s YouTube channel.

For more, see “Experts Ponder Why U.S. Presidential Contest Remains Tight” and “Polls and Pundits.”

The major parties are putting together the finishing touches on what will be the largest American political gatherings in four years. Both Democrats and Republicans will review their political platforms, celebrate their parties’ histories and officially name their candidates for president.

From August 25 to 28, Democrats will take over Denver to formally nominate Barack Obama as their presidential candidate. Republicans will do the same for John McCain in Minneapolis-St. Paul September 1 to 4. Campaign Trail Talk will be there, covering all the political happenings, so bookmark this site and check back for convention updates!

Got questions about the conventions or political parties? You can begin sending in your questions now to our conventions webchat. Check back during the conventions, as we’ll have some of the greatest political experts answering your questions live from Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Still looking for more information? Check out America.gov’s Frequently Asked Questions on Political Conventions and our National Political Conventions photo gallery.

Appearing together on the campaign trail for the first time in the general election, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama briefly stood side by side at a forum to address topics rarely discussed on the 2008 campaign trail – faith and values.

Pastor Rick Warren, leader of the large Saddleback Church in southern California, spent an hour with each candidate, asking identical questions dealing with religion and social issues. The candidates also were questioned about their own morals and personal values.

They were asked to describe what they believe to be the United States’ greatest moral failure: McCain said he believes Americans have not provided enough service for their country and the world and Obama said he believes the United States has not done enough to fight poverty. (A transcript of the forum is available on the CNN Web site.)

To those surprised to see U.S. presidential candidates participating in a political forum at a church, Warren explained “we believe in the separation of church and state, but we do not believe in the separation of faith and politics, because faith is just a world view, and everybody has some kind of world view, and it’s important to know what they are.”

For more on Christian voters, see “What do Evangelicals Want in 2008?” You can also join a discussion about the role of religion in American life in the blog “Talking Faith: Religious Diversity.”

U.S. presidential candidates continue to pay close attention to the conflict in Georgia, with both campaigns urging an end to hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgian territory.

Presumed Republican nominee John McCain has been more vocal in his criticism of Russia, commenting at press conferences, publishing an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal and asking two campaign allies — Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham — to visit Georgia on his behalf.

Keeping the international issue at the forefront of his campaign may help McCain. A July Wall Street Journal/NBC poll found that 53 percent of respondents said McCain would make a better commander in chief, only 25 percent favored Obama for the job. McCain’s campaign is eager to persuade voters that it is important to select a leader with international experience.

Both candidates said the United States should review their relations with Russia in light of the situation. And while he has been particularly critical of Russia, McCain said August 13 that “I don’t think we are going to re-ignite the Cold War.”

What do you think - are changes in store for U.S.-Russian relations? Submit your comments below.

For more on the ongoing conflict, see “Rice Rejects Russian ‘Protector’ Role in South Ossetia, Abkhazia.“

Anyone following U.S. politics knows that there is one topic that comes up again and again at campaign events: high gas prices. It is a dominant issue in both the presidential race and in local races across the country.

Those overseas who are used to paying much more than Americans for gas may have a difficult time understanding why this is such a problem in the United States. MTV’s Mississippi reporter Haley Crum explains how rising gas prices have impacted people in her state. Here are some excerpts:

“The harmful effect of rising oil costs on the American economy is old news, but how much gas prices are affecting small, rural states like Mississippi is a new issue in the media spotlight….

Mississippi has very little to no public transportation. While there may be the occasional car pool here and shuttle there, the mass transportation system in the state is almost non-existent. Residents in large cities like NYC are able to offset fuel costs by taking the bus or using the subway system. In Mississippi, even the capitol city, Jackson, has no public transportation system, which means residents must drive their own vehicles and therefore use more gas.

Also, in areas such as the Delta region, jobs are scarce, which forces many people to drive 20 miles or more to their place of work. Because this is the poorest region of the state, it is also full of older and less fuel efficient vehicles. Even in more prosperous areas of the state, a long commute is still common. …

The results of this problem are being seen. More and more restaurants are closing because people are eating out less to save gas. Farms are having a hard time maintaining their crops because of the gas and electricity their equipment must use. Stores are selling less, jobs requiring commutes are going unfilled. Apartments close to college campuses are in higher demand as college students look for ways to cut fuel costs. Everyone is being affected – young and old.”

For more, see “Cost of fuel hits South hardest.”

As part of its U.S. elections coverage, Campaign Trail Talk features reports from MTV’s 51 youth reporters, one from every state and the District of Columbia, who provide regular Internet updates on political issues that matter to their generation.

For months, presidential politics have dominated the American television airwaves. But in recent days, television viewers – and the candidates – have gotten a bit of a break.

Instead of the usual political debates, the blogosphere is abuzz with discussion over whether swimmer Michael Phelps will continue crushing world records. Instead of watching political rallies, many Americans cheered on Sudanese refugee Lopez Lomong holding the American flag during the opening ceremonies. But sports watchers are unlikely to get a complete break from politics – presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama is running $5 million worth of ads, and his opponent John McCain is spending $6 million on Olympics television.

Marc Ganis, who heads Chicago-based SportsCorp Ltd., told America.gov he thinks commercials on NBC’s Olympic broadcasts could be successful because they will be seen by a “broad cross-section” of Americans. (See “National Ads in Olympics Seen as Smart Strategy.”)

The Olympics does not mean the campaigns have gone silent. John McCain is busy meeting voters in swing states like Pennsylvania and Iowa. And while Barack Obama is taking a week-long vacation in Hawaii, his surrogates are speaking for him across the country. With the ongoing crisis in Georgia, both candidates continue to make major headlines.

This break is likely short-lived. With the Democratic National Convention to begin August 25, just a day after the Olympics conclude, political experts anticipate Obama announcing his vice presidential nominee next week. And since the potential VP picks is one of the most-talked about stories in presidential politics, it’s likely Phelps’ gold medals may take a back seat to politics after all.

For more on the Olympics, check out America.gov’s Sports Web site.