Among Maryland voters, 57% have a favorable opinion of Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 28% have an unfavorable opinion, while 41% have a favorable opinion of Republican nominee John McCain and 33% have an unfavorable opinion of him. Fifty-one percent have a favorable opinion of Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden and 20% have an unfavorable opinion; 35% have a favorable opinion of Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin and 24% have an unfavorable opinion of her.
Statewide, 52% said they would vote for Obama �if the election were held today,� while 38% said they would vote for McCain, and 10% were undecided.
Eighty percent of Democrats support Obama and 87% of Republicans back McCain. Among independents, 42% support Obama, 35% support McCain and 23% are undecided Similar to other states, women voters in Maryland support Obama more than men. The Democrat leads among female voters by a sizable 59% to 33% margin, while McCain leads 51% to 45% among men. Ninety-three percent (93%) of African-American voters support Obama, soon to be the first black nominated as the presidential candidate of a major political party. Fifty-three percent (53%) of white voters support McCain.
Sixty-one percent of Maryland voters have a favorable opinion of Obama, including 38% who rate their view of him as Very Favorable. He is viewed unfavorably by 39%, with a quarter (25%) saying their view of him is Very Unfavorable.
McCain is regarded favorably by 56%, with 24% Very Favorable. Forty-three percent (43%) view him unfavorably, but only 18% class their view as Very Unfavorable.
The Democratic presidential nominee has carried Maryland by substantial margins in the last four elections. Democratic nominee John Kerry defeated President Bush in 2004 by 13 percentage points.
Again, like voters in other states, a plurality of voters (39%) in Maryland say economic issues are the most important in the current election cycle, while 26% rank national security as their chief concern. Marylanders are equally divided -- at 46% each -- on the importance of finding new sources of energy versus reducing energy consumption.
Forty-seven percent (47%) say America has the best economy in the world, but nearly as many (43%) disagree. Nearly half (48%) also believe that reporters make the economy seem worse than it is.
