New Rasmussen Poll Shows McCain Collapsing

Today it is McCain 47, Hayworth 42

A new poll released today by Rasmussen Reports shows that Senator John McCain's lead over J.D. Hayworth in the Arizona Republican primary race has slipped to a mere 5 points.

"McCain has flooded the airways with paid advertisements and apparently Arizona voters don't like what he has to say," said Hayworth campaign manager David Payne. "Congressman Hayworth's grassroots campaign and conservative message is being embraced by the people."

The poll of likely Republican primary voters shows that "McCain has been losing ground since January when he picked up 53 percent of the potential GOP Primary vote and Hayworth had only 31 percent," according to the Rasmussen news release.

It also found just 2 percent prefer some other candidate, and 8 percent are undecided.

"Any incumbent who is earning less than 50 percent of the vote at this stage of the campaign in considered vulnerable," the Rasmussen release said.

Hayworth leads McCain in key categories.

Eighty-six percent of Primary voters think the recently-passed heath care bill should be repealed, with 50 percent strongly favoring repeal supporting Hayworth compared to only 41 percent favoring McCain.

Of voters who agree with the Tea Party movement, 49 percent back Hayworth compared to 42 percent for McCain.

And 85 percent of Republican Primary voters in the state say gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status if illegal aliens. Hayworth has made protecting the border a priority and has been critical of McCain's leading role in the failed "amnesty for illegals" effort in 2006 and 2007.