John McCain leads Barack Obama 50% to 42% in West Virginia, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state.

In a previous survey, in June, McCain also had an eight-point lead, but the split was 45% to 37%, with an unusually high number of voters saying they planned to vote for an unnamed third-party candidate. It also was the first poll since Obama had defeated Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Eighty-three percent (83%) of West Virginia Republicans and 34% of Democrats support McCain. Just 60% of Democrats and 13% of GOP voters back Obama.

Men favor McCain by 14 points, but women voters give the Republican only a 46% to 44% edge over his Democratic rival.

McCain is viewed favorably by 63% and unfavorably by 35%. Fifty percent (50%) give Obama favorable marks, but nearly as many (49%) regard him unfavorably.

Nationally Obama has begun to move ahead of McCain in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking poll.

Fifty-four percent (54%) say McCain made the right choice when he made Sarah Palin his running mate. But West Virginia voters by a 44% to 33% margin say Obama made the wrong choice with Joseph Biden.

Sixty-one percent (61%) have a favorable opinion of Palin, and 35% view her unfavorably. Biden is viewed favorably by 46%, unfavorably by 49%.

President Bush carried the state by 13 percentage points in 2004. Four years earlier, West Virginia abandoned its long history of voting for Democrats when Bush beat Al Gore by six points. West Virginia is listed as “Safely Republican” in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of West Virginia voters say they will be voting with enthusiasm for the presidential candidate they support, but 38% say they will be voting primarily against the opposing candidate.

Bush is given good or excellent marks for his job performance by 32%, but 49% rate his work as poor.

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