Barack Obama has a two-point advantage over John McCain in the traditionally Republican state of North Carolina.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Tar Heel State shows Obama attracting 49% of the vote while McCain earns 47%. A week ago, McCain held a three-point edge. This is the first time in eight Rasmussen Reports polls that Obama has held any kind of a lead in North Carolina, though the candidates were tied once as well.
The candidates have now been within three points of each other in six of the last seven polls. The sole exception came in August when McCain held a four-point advantage. Nationally, the race between Obama and McCain remains close in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.
Eighty-five percent (85%) of Democrats now say they’ll vote for Obama, up from 79% a week ago. The Democrat also has a ten-point lead among unaffiliated voters. McCain gets the vote from 89% of Republicans.
As always, the racial divide is sharp. In the Tar Heel State, Obama is supported by 98% of African-Americans while McCain currently earns the vote from 64% of White voters. (demographic crosstabs are available to Premium Members).
Eighty-one percent (81%) of Obama supporters are voting for their candidate with enthusiasm while 14% are voting primarily against McCain. Those figures have changed little over the past week.
Sixty-five percent (65%) of McCain voters are casting their votes with enthusiasm, up from 62% a week ago. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are voting primarily against Obama, down from 34%.
Obama is now viewed favorably by 57% of Tar Heel voters, up four points from a week ago. McCain earns positive reviews from 55%, down a point.
As for the running mates, 54% have a favorable opinion of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin while 53% have a positive opinion of Delaware Senator Joe Biden.
Fifty-three percent (53%) say that McCain made the right choice in selecting Palin while 39% say that Biden was the right choice for Obama.
North Carolina has voted for Republican candidates in nine out of the last ten Presidential elections. In 2004, George W. Bush won the state by a 56% to 44% margin.
The North Carolina survey was conducted on Tuesday night, before McCain’s call to suspend his campaign and delay the first Presidential Debate.
See Survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.
This telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on September 23, 2008. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
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North Carolina Trends: McCain vs. Obama |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Date |
McCain |
Obama |
|
11/02/2008 |
50% |
49% |
|
48% |
50% |
|
|
49% |
48% |
|
|
50% |
48% |
|
|
48% |
51% |
|
|
48% |
48% |
|
|
48% |
49% |
|
|
47% |
50% |
|
|
47% |
49% |
|
|
50% |
47% |
|
|
46% |
42% |
|
|
45% |
42% |
|
|
45% |
43% |
|
|
48% |
45% |
|
|
47% |
47% |
|
|
51% |
42% |
|
|
Favorable Ratings for Presidential Candidates in North Carolina |
||
|---|---|---|
|
McCain |
Obama |
|
|
Very Favorable |
37% |
45% |
|
Somewhat Favorable |
18% |
8% |
|
Somewhat Unfavorable |
18% |
12% |
|
Very Unfavorable |
25% |
34% |
|
Not Sure |
1% |
2% |
|
Rasmussen Reports - Electoral College Balance of Power Summary |
|
|---|---|
|
160 |
|
|
260 |
|
|
118 |
|
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.
