Obama leads in Maine

Barack Obama's a little weaker in Maine than he was in 2008, but he doesn't appear to be at any serious risk of actually losing the state next year.

Obama took 58% of the vote against John McCain in Maine, winning it by 17 points. His approval rating has dropped a good bit from that level of support and is now 51% with 44% of voters disapproving of him. He is largely popular with the Democratic base at 84% approval but his support from Republicans is pretty limited with only 10% of them giving him good marks. He also fares well against independents at 53/41.

Only Mitt Romney gives Obama a remotely serious challenge and he still trails by 8 points at 49-41. Romney is not particularly well liked in the state with 34% of voters expressing a favorable opinion of him to 46% with a negative one. That puts him ahead of the curve of the rest of the Republican candidates though. Mike Huckabee's favorability is 31/45, Newt Gingrich's is 28/55, and Sarah Palin's is 31/64.

Huckabee, who trails by 12 points at 51-39, and Gingrich who trails by 16 points at 53-37 both perform better than John McCain did in the state. Palin, however, does not. Her 22 point deficit to Obama at 57-35 there would represent the worst loss for a Republican candidate in Maine since Barry Goldwater lost to Lyndon B. Johnson by 38 points in 1964.

Although Obama may not be as popular he was in 2008 he doesn't seem likely to lose any states next year where his approval rating remains above water. And he certainly won't as long as voters are reacting as negatively to the GOP contenders as they are in Maine.

Full results here