The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in North Carolina finds John McCain leading Hillary Clinton 50% to 34%. The Arizona Senator also leads Barack Obama 51% to 42%.

In both match-ups, McCain is essentially even with his opponent among women but has a large lead among men. He also enjoys more support from Republicans than either Clinton or Obama receive from Democrats.

McCain is viewed favorably by 62% of Tar Heel State voters. Obama earns positive reviews from 48%, Clinton from 38%.

Nationally, McCain leads both Democrats in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. His favorable ratings are a couple of points higher than either Democrat among voters nationwide.

In North Carolina, 48% view the economy as the top issue of Election 2008. Just 15% of the state’s likely voters rate the economy as good or excellent. Forty-three percent (43%) rate the economy as poor. Just 8% say it is getting better while 73% say it is getting worse. Nationally, the Rasmussen Consumer Index shows that consumer confidence is near the lowest levels of the past seven years.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of North Carolina voters say the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror. Just 22% believe the terrorists are winning. Forty percent (40%) believe the situation in Iraq will get better over the next six months. Thirty-three percent (33%) expect things to get worse. Those figures are similar to the national average.

Sixty-one percent (61%) believe American society is generally fair and decent. Twenty-eight percent (28%) believe it is unfair and discriminatory.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Tar Heel voters say that George W. Bush is doing a good or excellent job as President. Forty-three percent (43%) say he is doing a poor job.

North Carolina 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 both Georgia and 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 North Carolina this November (current prices: Republican % Democrat %). Market results suggest that Obama has a % chance of becoming the next President of the United States. Expectations 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.

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