In California, the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds Barack Obama leading John McCain 52% to 38%. That's an improvement for Obama whose lead had slipped to seven percentage points in April. But, it’s the second time in three months that Obama has enjoyed a double digit lead in the nation’s most populous state.
Looking back over the past three polls, Obama’s support has remained steady ranging from a low of 50% to a high of 53%. McCain’s support bounced to 43% in April but was at 38% in both March and May.
Obama is viewed favorably by 57% of California voters, McCain by 46%. Those figures have changed little in the past month.
Among those who see the economy as the top issue, Obama leads 61% to 29%. Those voting primarily on the War favor Obama 73% to 26% while those voting on immigration favor McCain 60% to 31%.
By a 63% to 29% margin, California voters say getting troops home from Iraq is a higher priority than winning the War. Nationally, voters are somewhat more committed to victory than Californians, but a modest majority nationwide still say getting the troops home is most important.
Thirty-eight percent (38%) say it’s likely the U.S. will win the War if McCain is elected. Twenty-five percent (25%) say victory is likely with a President Obama. Sixty-four percent (64%) believe Obama will get the troops home during his first term while just 34% believe McCain would do the same.
California voters are evenly divided as to which Democrat would be the stronger general election candidate against McCain—45% say Obama while 43% believe Clinton would do better. Among Democratic voters, 50% think Obama is the better candidate while 42% say Clinton.
Twenty-two percent (22%) of California voters say that President Bush is doing a good or excellent job. Most—59%--say he is doing a poor job.
California’s Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gets good or excellent reviews from 35%. Twenty-eight percent (28%) say he is doing a poor job.
See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available for Premium Members only.
This telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports May 19-20, 2008. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
See Methodology.
|
California Trends: McCain vs. Obama |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Date |
McCain |
Obama |
|
10/25/2008 |
34% |
61% |
|
40% |
56% |
|
|
39% |
56% |
|
|
37% |
51% |
|
|
38% |
50% |
|
|
30% |
58% |
|
|
38% |
52% |
|
|
43% |
50% |
|
|
38% |
53% |
|
|
California Trends: McCain vs. Clinton |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Date |
McCain |
Clinton |
|
05/20/2008 |
35% |
54% |
|
42% |
47% |
|
|
39% |
46% |
|
|
Favorable Ratings for Presidential Candidates in California |
||
|---|---|---|
|
McCain |
Obama |
|
|
Very Favorable |
19% |
52% |
|
Somewhat Favorable |
25% |
15% |
|
Somewhat Unfavorable |
24% |
8% |
|
Very Unfavorable |
30% |
22% |
|
Not Sure |
2% |
2% |
Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
The Rasmussen Reports ElectionEdge™ Premium Service for Election 2008 offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a Presidential election.
Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
