Survey: Large Companies Favor McCain, Smaller Ones Like Obama

Election Fever: Despite the economic travails on Wall Street, a new survey suggests large U.S. companies are more likely to support Republican Sen. John McCain as president. Nearly two-thirds of companies with more than 10,000 employees believe McCain would be more beneficial in the long term, according to the survey by the Seattle-based Institute for Corporate Productivity. Midsize companies, however, appear to be leaning toward Democrat Barack Obama, with 63 percent of firms with 1,000 to 5,000 employees favoring the Illinois senator over McCain, the survey notes. Overall, 54 percent of the 456 respondents believe McCain would be better for their company. Also noteworthy: 60 percent say employees freely talk about politics at work, with one in five saying the discussions result in arguments among co-workers.