Poll shows Obama and McCain in virtual tie

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain by 47 percent to 46 percent, a statistical dead heat, in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday.

Obama's lead is down from his 3-point advantage in August and a 6-point edge in July, NBC said on its website.

The survey was taken from Saturday to Monday and had a margin of error of 3.3 points. The findings were similar to other polls showing a tightening race since the Democratic and Republican conventions.