Barack Obama now has a five-point lead – 51% to 46% -- on John McCain in Florida, according to the latest Fox News/Rasmussen reports telephone survey in the state. Libertarian candidate Bob Barr draws one percent (1%) of the vote.

McCain had generally been leading in Florida until late last month when the race was tied up. Since then Obama has been moving ahead. He led by seven points a week ago in the Fox News/Rasmussen Reports poll. A poll conducted in the middle of last week showed Obama with a three-point advantage.

McCain is viewed favorably by 54% and unfavorably by 44%. For Obama, his favorables are 55%, his unfavorables 43%.

Nationally, with the steady drumbeat of bad economic news, Obama has opened a stable lead over McCain in both the Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll and the Electoral College projections.

In Florida, both candidates are drawing 87% support from members of their own parties. Unaffiliated voters favor Obama 56% to 37%. While McCain leads among White Voters, he trails among Hispanic voters 64% to 34%. Obama leads by nine points among women but trails by two among men (see full demographic crosstabs).

Florida has been carried by the Republican presidential candidates in eight out of the last 10 elections, most notably in 2000 when it took a month to determine that George W. Bush was the winner. In 2004, Bush easily defeated Democrat John Kerry 52% to 47%. The closeness of the 2000 race, however, has given Florida the reputation of being a so-called swing state.

Florida voters are evenly divided over which candidate they trust more in general and which candidate they would ask advice of if faced with the toughest decision of their lives. That is a shift from earlier this fall when McCain was trusted by more Sunshine State voters.

Fifty-six percent (56%) say the economy is the most important issue in this election, while 19% say national security is number one. As in much of the country, Florida voters trust Obama more on the economy and McCain more on national security.

Forty-five percent (45%) say they would be very or extremely comfortable with Obama in the White House. Forty-one percent (41%) say the same of McCain. Thirty-nine percent (39%) would be not at all comfortable with Obama as president, compared to 36% who believe that of McCain.

Forty-eight percent of Florida voters say they would be very or extremely comfortable with Obama’s running mate, Joseph Biden, as vice president. Thirty-one percent (31%) say they would not be comfortable at all with Biden in that position.

As for GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, 39% say they would be very or extremely comfortable with her in the number two position, but 49% say they would be not at all comfortable with that.

New polling on the presidential race is also being released today from VirginiaNorth Carolina, Ohio, and Missouri. See an overview of all five state polls and the latest Electoral College projections. A total of 270 Electoral Votes are needed to win the White House (see 50-State Summary).

Recent statewide presidential polls have been released for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida,Hawaii, Kentucky, Kansas, Maine,Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina,Ohio,Pennsylvania,Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Demographic crosstabs for all state polling are available for Premium Members . Learn More .

More than half of Florida voters (55%) give Governor Charlie Crist good or excellent marks for his job performance. Just 14% say he is doing a poor job.

President Bush is doing a good or excellent job according to 33%, but 52% rate his performance as poor.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.