Here are the latest results from the West Virginia poll by Public Policy Polling published on USAElectionPolls.com:
There were 1223 voters polled on 10/16-17.
| Public Policy Polling Date: 10/16-17 West Virginia Added: 10/19/08 |
|
| John McCain | 50% |
| Barack Obama | 42% |
Quote:
A glimpse at what West Virginians view as their top issue gives an indication to the difficulty Obama might have in winning there. Right now in almost every battleground state more than 60% of the electorate lists the economy as its top issue, something that very much plays to the Democrats’ advantage. But only 54% do in West Virginia, with moral and family values placing second at 15%, a much higher share than it is pulling anywhere else. McCain’s advantage with those values voters? 87-7.“The Obama campaign has only just begun to make a real investment in West Virginia,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “So these numbers could definitely tighten up over the last couple weeks of the campaign, but for now it appears John McCain is likely to repeat the success George W. Bush had in the state in 2000 and 2004.”
For Obama’s numbers to improve he is going to have to significantly increase the share of the Democratic vote he is receiving in the state. Right now he leads McCain with voters in his own party just 62-29, at the same time that McCain is nailing down 85% of the Republican vote. McCain also has a strong advantage with independents, 53-36.
Another thing holding Obama back from greater success in West Virginia is that he is actually faring worse with older voters in the state than John Kerry did in 2004. Among those surveyed, 45% said they supported Kerry but only 41% say they support Obama.
