The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Washington state voters finds Barack Obama leading John McCain 48% to 43%. When matched against Hillary Clinton, however, it’s McCain with a three-point edge, 46% to 43%. Those results reflect a slight improvement for the Democrats compared to a month ago. They also are similar to results from the Evergreen State’s southern neighbor. In Oregon, Obama leads McCain by six while McCain leads Clinton by six.

Nationally, McCain has a modest lead over both Democrats in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

In Washington, Obama leads McCain by twelve points among women but trails by three among men. McCain holds a fifteen-point lead over Clinton among men, but trails by seven among women.

Obama leads McCain by seven among unaffiliated voters in Washington. He is essentially even with Clinton among these voters.

Obama is viewed favorably by 57% of voters statewide while McCain earns positive reviews from 56%. Just 43% offer a favorable opinion of Clinton.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of voters in Washington consider the economy to be the top voting issue of 2008. Just 14% rate the economy as good or excellent while 47% say it’s in poor condition. Only 6% say the economy is getting better while 75% say it is getting worse. Those figures are similar to the nation at large. The Rasmussen Consumer Index shows that consumer and investor confidence is near the lowest levels of the past seven years.

Twenty-four percent (24%) of Washington voters consider the War in Iraq to be the top issue. Thirty-two percent (32%) expect things to get better in Iraq over the coming six months while 40% say it will get worse. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror while 31% believe the terrorists are winning. Those figures are significantly more pessimistic than the nation-at-large.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Washington voters believe that American society is generally fair and decent. Twenty-three percent (23%) believe it is generally unfair and discriminatory.

At the time this poll was released, Washington is rated as Likely Democratic in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator. The calculator factors in poll results, results from Rasmussen Markets, voting history, and other factors to determine a state’s rating.

Rasmussen Markets data shows that Democrats are strongly favored to win Washington’s 11 Electoral College votes (current prices: Democrat % Republican %). Among Democrats, the Markets give Obama a % chance to win the Democratic 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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