Monday, October 06, 2008

Email to a Friend

The latest Fox News/Rasmussen Reports poll in Virginia finds Barack Obama leading John McCain 50% to 48%.

This represents the third consecutive poll where Obama has held a modest lead over his opponent. In last week’s Fox/Rasmussen release, Obama led 50% to 47%. Just four days prior, he held a five percentage point lead.

George W. Bush won Virginia by eight percentage points in 2000 and 2004, but Democrats have focused on Virginia this year as a red state they hope to peel away from Republicans. No Democrat has won the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

McCain leads among men, 54% to 44%, while Obama has a 55% to 42% advantage among women. White voters in Virginia favor McCain by a 59% to 38% margin, while non-white voters favor Obama, 82% to 16% (Premium Members can view full demographic crosstabs.)

Both candidates are viewed favorably by 56% and unfavorably by 43%.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).

Rasmussen Markets data currently gives McCain a % chance of carrying the state this fall. At the time this poll was released, Virginia was ranked as 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.

In terms of who voters trust more, each candidate earns 48%. While McCain is trusted more on national security issues by a 52% to 45% margin, Obama is favored when it comes to the economy and jobs, 50% to 46%.

More voters in Virginia say they would be extremely comfortable with an Obama presidency (33%) than a McCain presidency (24%). However, while 40% of voters say they would not be comfortable at all with Obama in the White House, 35% say that about McCain.

Voters in Virginia have grown a little more comfortable with Joe Biden over the past week. A third (32%) now say they would be extremely comfortable with him as Vice President, up from 30% last week. Twenty-nine percent (29%) say they would not be at all comfortable, down from 33% a week ago. For Sarah Palin, 28% say they would be extremely comfortable with her in the VP spot, while nearly half (47%) say they would be not at all comfortable. Both of those percentages have jumped two points from last week’s poll.

Virginia voters say they would turn to McCain is faced with the toughest decision of their lives by a 49% to 46% margin.

Governor Tim Kaine earns good or excellent ratings from 44% of voters, while 20% give his job performance a poor rating.

President George W. Bush earns good or excellent reviews from 32% of voters, while 51% say he is doing a poor job.

New polling was released Monday night with statewide results from Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, and Virginia. 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.

See results from recent polling on Senate races.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free)… let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

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