Posted on 09/26/2008 10:14:38 AM PDT by Anti-Hillary
Matching a trend seen in national polling, Barack Obama has pulled ahead of John McCain in Virginia over the past week as the Wall Street financial crunch has put economic concerns front and center.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds Obama with 50% of the vote while McCain earns 45%. Last Sunday, McCain was up two points. The week before, the candidates were tied.
The current poll marks the first time that either candidate has had more than a two-point advantage in Virginia since May. 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.
Just nine percent (9%) of Virginia voters rate the economy as good or excellent while 57% say it is in poor shape. Just five percent (5%) say the economy is getting better; 83% say it is getting worse.
Investors, who typically offer a more positive view of economic conditions, are just as pessimistic as non-investors. Obama leads by four points among Investors, which is a stunning number given that investors generally lean more heavily in the GOP direction than non-investors.
Fifty-two percent (52%) of Virginia voters name the economy as the top issue of Election 2008. Overall, 50% trust Obama more when it comes to the economy while 44% have more confidence in McCain. The survey was conducted on Thursday night as a White House meeting attempted to rescue the financial bailout bill being promoted by the Bush Administration. Public opposition to the measure has grown and 63% are now worried the federal government will try to do too much to resolve the financial crunch. Just 25% are concerned that the government won’t do enough.
Nationally, on the morning of the first debate, Obama has opened a five-percentage point lead over McCain in the Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).
McCain’s support from Republicans has slipped from 90% last week to 86% in the current survey. His 13-point advantage among unaffiliated voters in the earlier survey has vanished, with the two candidates essentially even among those voters now. Obama draws support from 92% of Democrats (demographic crosstabs [LINK] available for Premium Members).
Obama is now viewed favorably by 58% of Virginia voters, up six points. McCain is viewed favorably by 54%, a four-point decline.
Rasmussen Markets data currently gives the GOP a 48.5% chance of carrying the state again this fall. At the time this poll was released, Virginia was ranked as a “Toss Up” in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator.
For the first time in quite awhile, the presidential debates may actually affect an election (like 1980 and 1960).
McCain is paying the price for it.
Easy does it Anti...I dont think McCain is doing as bad in VA as is being sold here.
I’m not worried at this point. But boy, do these roller coaster polls point out the fickle, thin convictions of so many of our electorate.
Obsessed with popular media and celebrity, with absolutely no core convictions or practicing diligence in understanding real issues—the masses these days are a puppetmaster’s dream come true.
Perennial kids, lapping up the “gimme” promises and hip factor, glazed by 24/7 entertainment...( Rome fell in part to its obsession with “circuses and games”)
1. Last night was a bad night for McCain in all of the polls except Battleground. Rasmussen polled VA on single night (last night). Most pollsters do state polling over multiple days so one weird night doesn’t skew results, but not Rasmussen.
2. McCain HAS TAKEN DOWN ALL TV ADVERTISEMENTS. OBAMA BOUGHT UP THE SLOTS MCCAIN RELEASE. Don’t kid yourself - the Sheeple really are influenced by TV commercials. They wouldn’t be spending so much money for them if they didn’t have a huge impact!
Is it just me or is Ramussen out there on his own on some of these poll numbers today?
I seem to recall that back in 2000 and in 2004....most of the polls were predicting a Democrat win. Take past history as a guideline re: how irrelevant and useless these polls really are.
If McCain doesnt stomp Obama tonight, this thing is over. The undecided and swing voters have been running to Obama the past two weeks.
Seriously how about realizing that these polls say opposite things from one day to the next. A is up one day in poll A. B is up in poll B 24 hours later. And C is Tied.
If you dont have the basic mental ability to realize this then remember that you will likely will die on impact, so the jump will be painless.
There’s plenty of time. By this time next week, things will be different.
Three days earlier Mason Dixon has McCain by 3 in Virginia.
“NBC/Mason-Dixon 09/17 - 09/22 625 LV 47 44 McCain +3”
30% approval for the Obama/Paulson Plan, economics the number one issue and Obama rising in the polls. What universe are we in?
No need to panic, polls do not win elections. Everybody here should remember the 2004 election, when the pollsters predictions were proven to be hooey. There is a long time until the election, and the polls will be swinging back next week as people realize what the Dumbocrats have done with their Bailout Bill.
Right now, OH looks to be McCain. PA looks to be slightly Obama (especially when one takes historically trends into account)...and CO looks to be a true toss-up.
There are now 2 polls out of VA showing Obama up. That is surprising....but no reason for panic...
Ras has gone in the tank for Obama. This poll is not off, it’s simply FALSE.
Thank you, George W. Bush. Thank you for profligage spending, for a needless war in Iraq, for adopting whole-hog a program which the Treasury Secretary, the former Chairthing of Goldman Sachs, proposed to aid his friends on Wall Street and to bail out ACORN. Thank you for President Barack Obama, Mr. Bush.
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