Friday, September 26, 2008

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The race for Florida’s Electoral College votes is closer now than it was just a few days ago. Consistent with a pattern found in national polls and in several other state polls, John McCain has lost ground in the Sunshine State, but support for Barack Obama hasn’t increased.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds McCain on top 48% to 47% (see crosstabs). The previous poll, conducted Sunday night, showed McCain on top 51% to 46%.

Both candidates are now viewed favorably by 55% of Florida voters. That’s unchanged for McCain but a five-point improvement for Obama.

Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Obama voters say they are voting with enthusiasm for their candidate, an attitude shared by 67% of McCain supporters.

Thirty-one percent (31%) of McCain voters say they are primarily voting against Obama while 19% of the Democrat’s voters are primarily voting against McCain.

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

The survey was conducted Wednesday night, the night that President Bush addressed the nation on the economic crisis. National surveys conducted in recent days show that opposition to the Administration’s bailout plan has been growing and that most Americans are now worried the federal government will do too much rather than too little.

A separate Rasmussen national poll released last week found that most voters are not yet convinced that either candidate can handle the economic crisis.

McCain leads 78% to 19% among politically conservative Florida voters while Obama leads 89% to 8% among political liberals. Obama also holds a 17-point advantage among self-described political moderates while McCain benefits from the fact that there are more conservative voters than liberals. Premium Members can review full demographic crosstabs for all state polls and get the first look at all Rasmussen Reports polling data. Learn More.

Rasmussen Markets data currently gives McCain a % chance of winning Florida’s 27 Electoral College votes in November. At the time this poll was released, Florida was rated as “Leans Republican” in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator. NOTE: Factors other than the latest Rasmussen Reports poll impact the Balance of Power ratings. The current status is indicated on the table in the upper righthand corner of this article.

President George W. Bush earns good or excellent ratings from 28% of Florida voters, down from 34% just a few days ago. Fifty-four percent (54%) now say the President is doing a poor job.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is rated good or excellent by 54% of voters, versus only 17% say he is doing a poor job.

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