Early W.Va. Poll #s - Updated

A Republican-oriented polling outfit has surveyed 400 likely Mountain State voters to check the waters in advance of 2008. Host Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews' Talkline presented some of the numbers in online columns Monday and today, and also talked about them on yesterday's show.

The May survey by Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates offers favorable and negative ratings for the major presidential hopefuls, and asked voters to choose between a generic Democrat and Republican for president.

It also quizzed respondents about their political leanings, and had them weigh hypothetical '08 matchups between specific presidential candidates.

In his follow-up column today, Kercheval shares numbers reflecting Iraq as an issue for would-be voters, and President Bush's approval rating.

Kercheval told his listeners Monday that the poll was commissioned by John Raese, his employer at MetroNews and the unsuccessful challenger to U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., in 2006. The former state GOP chairman has been touted as a possible opponent to Sen. Jay Rockefeller in 2008.

Update: Though no results appear available, it seems that the poll did indeed ask about a potential Raese-Rockefeller match-up. Reader responses indicate the poll also sought opinions of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and asked about party registration, abortion, gun ownership, religion and church attendance.