PA POLL: Obama 47 (+1), McCain 42 (unchanged). W/ Leaners - Obama 51, McCain 45 [View All]

[jefferson_dem]

Pennsylvania: Obama Inches Further Ahead
Thursday, July 24, 2008

Barack Obama’s lead over John McCain has now stretched to five percentage points in Pennsylvania. In April, McCain had a statistically insignificant lead, but the Democratic candidate has been slowly moving ahead since then.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds Obama out front 47% to 42%. When “leaners” are included, Obama leads 51% to 45%. Last month, Obama led 46% to 42% after holding just a two-point lead the month before.

McCain holds a 40% to 38% edge among unaffiliated voters in the state his month. Obama leads 45% to 41% among men and 50% to 43% among women.

Obama is viewed favorably by 58% of voters in Pennsylvania, which has not changed since last month. McCain is viewed favorably by 61%, up from 57% last month.

Rasmussen Markets shows that Democrats are currently given a 79.9 % chance of winning Pennsylvania’s twenty-one Electoral College Votes this fall.

John Kerry won the state for the Democrats in 2004 by a 51% to 48% margin over President Bush. Four years earlier, Al Gore carried the state by four percentage points. Immediately prior to release of this poll, Pennsylvania was rated as “Leans Democrat” in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/pennsylvania/election_2008_pennsylvania_presidential_election2