Today Rasmussen is out with two surveys that find strong support for John McCain’s call for offshore drilling in Florida. The issue has been in the news this week.

A national poll found that 62 percent of Americans support McCain’s position and only 27 percent agree with Barack Obama, who is against drilling.

Respondents were told of the candidates’ positions and 55 percent of them believed that gasoline prices would go down if offshore oil drilling is allowed.

A Florida-only poll also found McCain leading Obama 47 to 39 percent in the state, well above the poll’s +/- 4.5 percent margin of error. This result is in direct conflict with two polls released yesterday (but conducted before drilling became a significant issue), that had Obama leading McCain by statistically significant margins.

The poll also found that when respondents were informed before stating their presidential preference that McCain supported drilling and Obama opposed it, McCain’s lead grew by three points, to 49-38. Based on their data, Rasmussen speculated that “[McCain’s] call for offshore drilling may boost his campaign in the Sunshine State.”