Rasmussen: McCain 45%, Obama 37% in W.Va.

The survey of 500 likely voters conducted earlier this month also found 13% choosing other candidates and 5% undecided. The margin of error was +/- 4.5 percentage points.

Other highlights:

• McCain had only a 48% favorable rating and Obama, 40%;

• Obama had a slightly higher "very favorable" (18% to 16%), but a much larger "very unfavorable" (35% to 26%);

• 59% said they would rather see the U.S. "get the troops home from Iraq within four years," than "win the war" (32%);

• 48% believed Obama would have virtually all combat troops home within his first term, while only 22% thought that would happen under McCain;
  

• Economy ranked atop important issues at 46%, followed by Iraq at 19%;

• 58% rated President Bush's job performance as "poor" (total unfavorable rating was 72%);

• 76% said the federal government does not "represent the will of the people."

Update: MetroNews Talkline asks Scott Rasmussen about his poll numbers (with audio), and hears that "neither Presidential candidate will be focusing all that much on West Virginia ahead of the November General Election."

The Intelligencer of Wheeling also focuses on the numbers. It reports that "National political experts are looking at West Virginia and again seeing 'red' this presidential election year," but that "state Democratic leaders believe if presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama brings himself to the Mountain State, voters will come his way."