Nearly half (48%) of voters disagree with John McCain’s request to postpone the first presidential debate tonight because of the country’s ongoing financial problems. Thirty four percent (34%) think McCain is right, and nearly one-out-of-five voters (18%) are undecided.

Even though McCain has now decided to attend, a plurality (46%) think Barack Obama will be the candidate most helped by the debate, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Again, there’s no clear winner, because 34% think McCain is the candidate most likely to help his campaign with his debate performance. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided.

Forty-nine percent (49%) say Obama is the more skilled debater of the two. Only 27% believe that of McCain.

Most voters will be watching, too. Eighty-seven percent (87%) say they are at least somewhat likely to watch the debate, including 68% who describe themselves as Very Likely to watch.

Nationally, Obama has begun to edge ahead in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll, but 20% of voters say they still could change their minds on who they’ll cast their ballot for in November.

(Want a free daily daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).

Earlier this week, 74% said they were Very Likely to watch the presidential debates, but over half (56%) thought debate moderators were biased in their questioning. Voters also preferred a town hall format to questioning by news anchors.

But, in the latest survey, 72% say the candidate’s performance is ultimately what determines who is perceived as the winner of the debate. Just 19% felt that the media’s coverage of the debate determined whom voters view as the winner.

In a survey just two weeks ago, 69% said reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and this year 50% think of voters think most reporters are trying to help Obama. These numbers are consistent through several surveys conducted this spring and summer.

Both McCain and Obama plan to travel to the University of Mississippi where the debate is set to begin at 9 p.m. EDT. McCain had proposed a delay until an economic recovery plan was worked out in Washington with he and Obama participating. With negotiations seemingly wrapped up, McCain announced late this morning that he planned to debate tonight after all.

McCain and Obama have been locked in a tight race for weeks, but McCain’s unsteady response to the recent bad economic news has caused his numbers to drop. His campaign is hoping his request for a debate postponement to join the economic negotiations will be seen as a display of strong leadership in a time of crisis.

Women, who nationally tend to support Obama more than McCain, are opposed to postponing the debate 49% by 29%. Men agree but by a narrower 46% to 39% margin.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Republicans think the debate should be postponed because of the financial situation, but 67% of Democrats and a plurality of unaffiliated voters (48%) disagree. Thirty-four percent (34%) of unaffilateds support as postponement, as do 14% of Democrats.

Fifty percent (50%) of investors also see no need for a postponement.

Only 30% of voters think the federal government should step in to rescue the country’s troubled financial markets.

Democrats are slightly more confident than Republicans that their candidate will benefit most from the debate. Unaffiliated voters give Obama the edge 43% to 27%. But unaffiliateds also think Obama’s the more skilled debater by a margin of 47% to 16%.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.