A new poll taken last weekend shows further signs that Sen. Barack Obama has benefited politically from the financial crisis.

The Illinois senator and his running mate, Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden, won 49 percent of the respondents in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. Arizona Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin polled 43 percent.

Two weeks ago, the Democrats were up only two percentage points in the same poll. The recent results mirror other national surveys.

The Journal notes that independent voters are starting to support the Democratic ticket. Two weeks ago in the same poll, independents preferred Mr. McCain by 13 points. In the new poll, Mr. Obama leads by four points.

And when asked which candidate they favor to handle the economy, the top issue in the campaign, more voters said they are "more reassured" by how Sen. Obama has responded to the financial challenges.

Before the Tuesday presidential town-hall forum, voters in the poll said that Sens. Obama and Biden did "a better job in the debates" than their opponents, 50 pecent to 29 percent. That is especially interesting since Gov. Palin proved a strong contender in the spirited vice presidential debate.

The financial bailout, passed by Congress just before the poll was taken, is a major factor in the presidential campaign, along with the overall economic challenges. Voters backed the bailout package 40 percent to 38 percent. Some 54 percent said that the bill "was not the best approach" but "necessary." Twenty-nine percent said the "problem should have been left to the private sector."

Congress received low marks for its handling of the crisis, however. Voters especially disapproved of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Yet Sen. McCain lost ground on the crisis as well. Respondents who said the financial meltdown affected them personally favored Sen. Obama by 15 percent.

The race is believed to be fluid. Sen. McCain still has time to make a move.