With Barack Obama launching an energy offensive this week to regain ground lost to John McCain and the Republicans, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that most voters favor the presumptive Democratic nominee’s proposal for a $1,000 energy credit for working families.

But voters are evenly divided on Obama’s call for a windfall profit tax on oil companies, perhaps because many fear it will lead to higher gas prices.

The survey shows that 39% of voters favor a windfall profits tax on oil companies, 36% are opposed, and 25% are not sure. Democrats favor the windfall profits tax by a 52% to 22% margin while Republicans oppose it by a nearly identical margin (55% to 23%). Unaffiliated voters are evenly divided.

Forty-two percent (42%) of voters believe a windfall profits tax will lead to higher gas prices while 12% believe it will reduce the price of gas at the pump.

There is more support for providing working families with a $1,000 energy credit—55% favor the idea and 29% are oppose. Democrats overwhelmingly endorse the concept with 67% in favor and just 19% opposed. Republicans are evenly divided. Forty-eight percent (48%) of unaffiliated voters favor the energy credit while 31% are opposed. Lower income voters strongly support the idea while upper income voters are less enthusiastic (Full Crosstabs are available for Premium Members).

Obama has proposed paying for an energy credit and paying for it with a windfall profits tax. When those ideas are combined, 56% of voters are in favor and 32% are opposed.

The Democratic hopeful is pitching a new energy plan at a time when his Republican rival—John McCain--has clearly gained ground on the topic. Currently, 46% of voters trust McCain more than Obama on energy issues while 42% trust Obama. Two months ago, Obama held a four point advantage.

In early June, shortly after clinching the Democratic Presidential Nomination, Obama consistently led McCain by about five points in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. For the past couple of weeks, with the exception of a brief bounce following Obama’s Berlin speech, the race has been much closer.

McCain changed the dynamic of the energy debate and shocked many earlier in the summer by saying that offshore oil drilling should be allowed. Initially, the Obama campaign appeared confident that the issue would work in their favor but the high price of gas has changed public opinion on the subject. As polling indicates continued strong support for offshore drilling, Obama has signaled that he may drop his opposition.

Overall, 26% of voters expect gas prices to go up between now and Election Day. Thirty-one percent (31%) think prices will be down and 36% expect prices at the pump to stay about the same.

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