Another survey by Rasmussen shows that McCain’s lead in Florida increased when voters were told McCain supports off-shore drilling, and Obama doesn’t.

The Florida survey also found that McCain currently leads Obama in the state by a 47% to 39% margin. Six percent (6%) said they would vote for some other candidate while 8% are undecided.

However, after voters were told that McCain favored offshore drilling and Obama opposed it, McCain’s lead increased to eleven points, 49% to 38%. While a three-point net gain is not stunning, it is significant that the issue didn’t push voters towards Obama. All of McCain’s gains on the offshore drilling issue came from male voters.

I’m pretty convinced this years election will ride a lot upon gas prices.  Republicans have done a poor job at nailing the democrats on this issue, when they could take them to the bank with it.  I would bet the overwhelming majority of Americans would favor drilling for our own resources, and that is a ticket to win if McCain’s campaign would get a spine.

McCain’s campaign needs to point out that while off-shore drilling is not a long term solution, it will help in the short term especially with the speculators scam that is going on.  But they really need to push how Obama and the democrats oppose the U.S. from drilling its own resources, and how they have done so for years.  McCain could sweep the election with this issue alone, but I’m not so sure they are willing to do it.