New polls published by the New York Times and CBS News and the Pew Center for People and the Press show while presidential contenders Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama are nearly even in popularity, Obama has a significant lead on his opponent when it comes to who voters feel he could do more to change Washington, D.C.

In the Times’ poll, 65 percent of voters believed Obama would bring about more change in government, compared to 37 percent for McCain.

“[McCain] is widely viewed as a ‘typical Republican’ who would continue or expand President Bush’s policies,” the Times reported.

The Times poll found 48 percent of voters in support of Obama, compared to 43 percent for McCain. Just after the Republican National Convention, McCain was polling even with his opponent, and even ahead in some surveys.

The new numbers are nearly identical to those researched ahead of both political conventions.

The Pew poll has the two senators nearly even with Obama at 46 percent and McCain at 44 percent. In Pew’s pre-convention poll, Obama polled at 46 percent to McCain’s 43 percent.

Despite showing similar numbers before the parties’ conventions and after, both polls noted significant shifts in the reasons behind voters’ choices.

At the end of August, only 62 percent of Republican voters said they believe it “really matters” who wins the White House, compares to 71 percent in the new Pew poll.

The change in the Times’ poll was even more dramatic.

“Forty-seven percent of Mr. McCain’s supporters described themselves as enthused about the Republican Party’s presidential ticket, almost twice what it was before the conventions,” according to the Times.

Obama maintained his lead on domestic issues such as the economy and energy, but McCain gained some ground. Both polls were conducted during the past few days of considerable economic worry and turmoil as voters listened to the candidates’ plans to restore financial confidence.

The Illinois senator leads his rival 47 percent to 38 percent on who can best handle the economy, the Pew poll suggests.

Fifty percent of voters, however, feel that the military troop surge in Iraq, which McCain has long supported, has made things better in the region, a sentiment that has led many to believe the Arizona Senator would make the better commander-in-chief, the New York Times reported.

Another key factor since the conventions is the vice presidential selections of both candidates.

White women were evenly divided between McCain and Obama prior to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin joining the Republican ticket, but they now sway toward McCain 44 percent to 37 percent, according to the Times.

The Times poll revealed that not everyone is confident in the vice presidential picks, however.

“More than 6 in 10 said they would be concerned if Mr. McCain could not finish his term and Ms. Palin had to take over,” the Times reported. “In contrast, two-thirds of voters surveyed said Mr. Biden would be qualified to take over for Mr. Obama, a figure that cut across party lines.”

The Pew poll showed that slightly more than half of voters hold a favorable view of Palin, with the same true for Biden.