In the state where she served as First Lady in the 1980s, Hillary Clinton trails John McCain by seven percentage points in a hypothetical general election match-up. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows McCain attracting 50% of the vote while Clinton earns 43%. However, when Barack Obama is presented as the Democratic option, McCain leads 59% to 30% in Arkansas.

Clinton is viewed favorably by 50% of voters in her former home state while 47% have an unfavorable view. As with all polling on the Democratic hopeful, there is a significant gender gap. She earns favorably reviews from 59% of women and 39% of men.

McCain is viewed favorably by 66% and unfavorably by 30%. For Obama, the reviews are 35% favorable and 62% unfavorable.

Forty-eight percent (48%) name the economy as the top voting issue this year. Just 14% rate the economy as good or excellent while 52% say it is in poor shape. Only 6% say the economy is getting better, 78% say it is getting worse. Nationally, consumer and investor confidence remains near the lowest levels of the past seven years. A Rasmussen Reports video analysis looks at how rapidly economic confidence has deteriorated in recent months .

Fifty-one percent (51%) say the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror while 27% believe the terrorists are winning. Thirty-nine percent (39%) believe that the situation in Iraq will get better over the next six months while 35% say it will get worse. All of those figures are broadly similar to the national average.

Sixty-four percent (64%) say that American society is generally fair and decent while 26% say it is unfair and discriminatory. Both Democrats lead McCain among Arkansas voters who believe society is generally unfair and discriminatory. However, McCain leads Clinton by thirty-one points among those who say American society is fair and decent. McCain leads Obama by forty-eight points among those same voters.

Arkansas is rated Likely Republican in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator. This Calculator aggregates data from a variety of sources to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state-by-state race for the White House. Data inputs include the latest Rasmussen Reports poll in a state, an average of the latest polling from other firms, Rasmussen Markets data, Intrade market data, the aggregated rankings of selected analysts, the state’s voting history, and national party identification trends.

Over the past month, McCain has gained ground in Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. He also hold a solid lead in Arkansas. Both Democrats continue to lead in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and California (see summary of recent state general election polling). A recent Rasmussen Reports analysis looks at one of the reasons for McCain’s recent gains--the impact of Pastor Wright and Obama’s speech.

Rasmussen Markets data suggests that Republicans are favored to win Arkansas this November (current prices: Republican % Democrat %). Market results suggest that Obama has a % chance of becoming the next President of the United States. Expectation for McCain are at %. Among Democrats, the Markets give Obama a % chance to win the nomination while expectations for a Clinton victory are at %. Numbers in this paragraph are from a prediction market, not a poll. Using a trading format where traders "buy and sell" candidates, issues, and news features, the Rasmussen Markets harness competitive passions to provide a reliable leading indicator of upcoming events. We invite you to participate in the Rasmussen Markets. It costs nothing to join and add your voice to the collective wisdom of the market.

Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.