So early to be doing this, but worthy as a taking of current temperature and maybe from a lookback perspective later: SurveyUSA’s early polling on presidential matchups in several states, among them Washington and Oregon. (Idaho wasn’t among them.)
Specifically, these are early matchups of Democratic Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who is forming an exploratory committee (which ordiarily means, he’s running) with three top Republican candidates: Arizona Senator John McCain, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Of the six results (three matchups in two states), Obama wins three.
The Republican who beat Obama both in Washington 49%-45% and in Oregon 51%-41% was – surprise!, at least to us – Giuliani.
Obama-McCain was a split decision, with Obama barely taking Washington 47%-46%, and McCain prevailing in Oregon 51%-40%.
Obama scored blowouts against Romney, however: in Washington 56%-33%, and in Oregon 51%-35%.
None of the major candidates seem to have picked up a lot of public backing so far from major Northwest political figures. There’s been some recent Oregon activity, though, between Senator Gordon Smith’s backing of McCain and this week’s announcement from the Romney campaign that three of the 16 members of his exploratory committee come from Oregon, and one of those is the state Republican chair, Vance Day.
ALSO The polls also included some approval numbers. From one of them:
OREGON President George Bush 38%, Governor Ted Kulongoski 49%, Senator Ron Wyden 64%, Senator Gordon Smith 60% (an increase from earlier figures; could it reflect his Iraq speech?)
WASHINGTON President George Bush 35%, Governor Chris Gregoire 51%, Senator Patty Murray 56%, Senator Maria Cantwell 61%.
