Sunday, October 19, 2008

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Barack Obama now leads John McCain 49% to 44% in Missouri, according to the latest Fox News/Rasmussen Reports poll in the state.

In the previous two Fox/Rasmussen surveys, Obama has held a 50% to 47% lead.

Men in Missouri favor Obama by a 48% to 45% margin, while women favor the Democrat, 50% to 43%. McCain still has an edge among white voters in the state, 48% to 45%, while Obama has a dominant lead among non-white voters.

McCain also holds the advantage among voters age 40 and over, while Obama has a strong lead among voters younger than 40.

Both candidates are viewed favorably by 55% and unfavorably by 43%.

Both candidates have promised to bring major changes to Washington, but voters in Missouri trust Obama’s word slightly more than McCain’s. Forty-percent (40%) believe Obama is the only candidate who can bring real change to the Capitol, while just 27% say that about McCain. Another 18% believe both candidates have the potential to do so, while 12% say neither can.

Obama has pulled ahead of McCain in Missouri in terms of voter trust. Voters now trust the democrat more by a 47% to 46% margin. A week ago, McCain had a two-point advantage on this question.

On the top issue of the economy, voters in Missouri now trust Obama more than McCain, 50% to 43%. Obama’s advantage on the issue has decreased slightly since last week. When it comes to national security and the War on Terrorism, McCain still leads, 51% to 44%.

Over a third (34%) of Missouri voters say they would be extremely comfortable with Obama in the White House, up a point from last week. However, the percentage of voters who would not be comfortable at all with an Obama presidency rose from 37% a week ago to 39%. Voters are split on the democrat’s experience, with 46% who say he has the right experience to be president and 47% who say he does not.

Most voters in Missouri (67%) say McCain does have the right experience for the job, while just 27% believe the opposite. Just 23% say they would extremely comfortable with the GOP in the White House, up one point from last week, while 35% say they would not be comfortable at all, up from 32% one week ago.

If faced with life’s toughest decision, 47% of voters in Missouri say they would turn to McCain for advice, while 46% say they would consult Obama.

Most voters in Missouri (82%) report being extremely interested in the upcoming election at this point, while 11% say they are very interested. Just 2% of voters say they have no interest in the election.

Rasmussen Markets data currently gives McCain a % chance of winning Missouri’s 11 Electoral College votes this fall.

George W. Bush won the state by seven points in Election 2004 and by three points four years earlier. But Missouri remains a “Toss-Up” in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator. NOTE: Factors other than the latest Rasmussen Reports poll impact the Balance of Power ratings. The current status is indicated on the table in the upper right hand corner of this article.

New polling on the presidential race is also being released today from Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. 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).

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