It’s no surprise that John McCain leads Hillary Clinton by twenty-five percentage points in Alaska. After all, George W. Bush won the state by twenty-five points in Election 2004 and by thirty-one points four years earlier.

However, it is surprising to note that Barack Obama starts the general election trailing McCain by just five percentage points, 48% to 43%.

The big difference in results for the Democratic hopefuls can be found among Alaska’s unaffiliated voters. McCain leads Clinton by eight percentage points among the unaffiliateds but Obama leads McCain by a two-to-one margin among those same voters.

McCain is viewed favorably by 63% of Alaska voters, Obama by 55%, and Clinton by just 35%.

Nationally, McCain is in a close race with both Clinton and Obama in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

Rasmussen Markets shows that Republicans are currently given a % chance of winning Alaska’s three Electoral College Votes this fall. At the time the poll was released, Alaska was rated as “Safely Republican” in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator.

In Alaska, 38% say the economy is the top voting issue in 2008. Twenty-five percent (25%) say it’s the War in Iraq.

Just 19% rate the economy as good or excellent. Forty-two percent (42%) say it’s in fair shape while 38% rate the economy as poor. Only 12% believe the economy is getting better while 74% say it’s getting worse. Those figures are similar to the national average.

Fifty-one percent (51%) say the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror while 26% say the terrorists are winning. Thirty-five percent (35%) say the situation in Iraq will get better over the next six months while 39% expect it to get worse. Those figures are a bit more pessimistic than the national average.

Seventy percent (70%) of Alaska voters say that American society is generally fair and decent while 22% say it is unfair and discriminatory.

A recent national survey found that 37% believe that African-Americans face more discrimination than women. Twenty-seven percent (27%) hold the opposite view.

Forty-one percent (41%) of Alaska voters say that President Bush is doing a good or excellent job. Forty-two percent (42%) give his job performance a Poor rating.

Republican Governor Sarah Palin earns much better reviews—73% good or excellent, 7% poor.

Additional state polling was released today for Ohio, Montana, and New Mexico.

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