The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in New York shows Hillary Clinton leading John McCain 50% to 38%. Barack Obama leads the Republican nominee by a nearly identical margin, 51% to 38%. Nationally, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows McCain in a very competitive race with both Clinton and Obama.

The survey was conducted on Tuesday night at the height of the furor surrounding former Governor Eliot Spitzer. Data released earlier showed that voters overwhelmingly wanted Spitzer to resign.

The survey found that 60% of New York voters have a favorable opinion of Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Fifty-nine percent (59%) have a favorable opinion of New York Senator Hillary Clinton and 53% say the same about Arizona Senator John McCain. New York is only the second state surveyed recently to have favorable opinions of all three candidates (Connecticut was the other).

Thirteen percent (13%) of New York State voters say that the U.S. economy is in good or excellent shape. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say it’s just fair while 47% say poor. The Rasmussen Consumer Index has recently shown consumer confidence falling to the lowest levels of the past seven years. In New York, just 4% say the economy is getting better while 76% say it is getting worse.

Forty-one percent (41%) say the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror while 26% say the terrorists are winning. Thirty-one percent (31%) say the situation in Iraq will get better over the next six months while 39% expect it to get worse. These numbers show that New Yorkers are a bit more pessimistic than the nation at large.

Sixty-four percent (64%) of New York voters believe that American society is generally fair and decent while 23% believe it is unfair and discriminatory.

New York is currently ranked as Safely Democratic in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator. The Calculator is based upon latest poll results, data from Rasmussen Markets voting history, and other information. See a summary of recent state-by-state general election polling.

Rasmussen Markets data now give the Democrats a % chance to win New York’s Electoral College votes. Republicans are given a % chance of winning. As for the Democratic nomination, the markets give Obama a % chance of winning 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.

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