The Pacific Northwest is beginning to look like very friendly territory for Barack Obama. Last week, Rasmussen Reports polling showed that Obama had opened a double-digit lead over John McCain in Oregon. Now, Obama has done the same in Washington state (see video report).

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in Washington finds Barack Obama leading John McCain 51% to 40%. For Obama, that’s an improvement since late-March when the presumptive Democratic nominee led his Republican counterpart by five percentage points.

Nationally, Obama and McCain are essentially even in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

In Washington, Obama attracts the vote from 83% of Democrats and leads McCain by seven points among unaffiliated voters. McCain attracts support from 87% of Republicans.

McCain leads Obama among voters earning $40,000 to $75,000 annually. Obama leads among those who earn less than $40,000 a year as well as those who earn more than $75,000 a year. McCain leads among regular churchgoers while Obama is strongest among those who rarely or never attend services.

Obama is viewed favorably by 57% of voters statewide, unchanged from the previous survey. McCain now earns positive reviews from 49%, down seven points from 56% in late March.

Rasmussen Markets shows that Democrats are currently given a % chance of winning Washington’s Eleven Electoral College Votes. At the time this poll was released, Washington was rated as “Likely Democratic” in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator.

In the unlikely event that Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, she leads McCain by five, 47% to 42%. However, as Rasmussen Reports noted last week, the Democratic race is effectively over and Obama is the party’s presumptive nominee.

Thirty-six percent (36%) of Washington voters favor the concept of a federal gas tax holiday. Fifty-five percent (55%) are opposed.

At the same time, just 36% believe the federal government needs more revenue to fund important national programs. Forty-eight percent (48%) disagree. Nationally, voters are evenly divided on this topic.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of Washington voters are worried that the next President will raise taxes so much that it harms the economy. That’s the lowest level of concern registered in any state polled by Rasmussen Reports on this topic.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) are worried that the next President will cut taxes so much that it harms important government programs.

Washington voters, by a 56% to 26% margin, oppose an increase in the capital gains tax. Nationally, 65% oppose this particular tax increase. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Washington voters own at least $5,000 worth of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

A separate national survey found that 60% of voters believe tax hikes are generally bad for the economy.

Thirty percent (30%) of Washington voters say that George W. Bush is doing a good or excellent job as President. Twice as many, 58%, say he is doing a poor job.

Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire has significantly improved her prospects for re-election over the past couple of months.

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