The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in North Carolina finds John McCain leading Hillary Clinton 50% to 34%. The Arizona Senator also leads Barack Obama 51% to 42%.

In both match-ups, McCain is essentially even with his opponent among women but has a large lead among men. He also enjoys more support from Republicans than either Clinton or Obama receive from Democrats.

McCain is viewed favorably by 62% of Tar Heel State voters. Obama earns positive reviews from 48%, Clinton from 38%.

Nationally, McCain leads both Democrats in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. His favorable ratings are a couple of points higher than either Democrat among voters nationwide.

In North Carolina, 48% view the economy as the top issue of Election 2008. Just 15% of the state’s likely voters rate the economy as good or excellent. Forty-three percent (43%) rate the economy as poor. Just 8% say it is getting better while 73% say it is getting worse. Nationally, the Rasmussen Consumer Index shows that consumer confidence is near the lowest levels of the past seven years.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of North Carolina voters say the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror. Just 22% believe the terrorists are winning. Forty percent (40%) believe the situation in Iraq will get better over the next six months. Thirty-three percent (33%) expect things to get worse. Those figures are similar to the national average.

Sixty-one percent (61%) believe American society is generally fair and decent. Twenty-eight percent (28%) believe it is unfair and discriminatory.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Tar Heel voters say that George W. Bush is doing a good or excellent job as President. Forty-three percent (43%) say he is doing a poor job.