From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage –

A new Hays Research poll shows Barack Obama would beat Sarah Palin among Alaskans if the presidential election was today.

The poll found 42 percent of Alaskan voters would pick or are learning toward Obama in a head to head race against Palin for the presidency, while 36 percent of the voters would choose or are leaning toward Palin over him.

Conservative Anchorage radio host Mike Porcaro paid for Hays Research to ask the question.

“Sarah Palin showcases her Alaska roots at every opportunity, but the surprising reality is she has become highly unpopular in her home state,” Porcaro said in an emailed statement.

“Whether it is the fact she left office after serving barely two years or that some Alaskans believe her tax policies have punished our vital oil and gas industry or the ‘rock star’ nature of her media coverage, these results show Sarah Palin would lose to Obama in Alaska, where voters overwhelmingly support conservative candidates,” Porcaro said.

Porcaro hosts an afternoon show on KENI AM and owns an Anchorage advertising agency.

Hays Research of Anchorage polled 500 Alaskans statewide who voted in at least two of the four statewide elections. The poll was on June 21st and June 22nd.

It asked:

“Although it is some time from now, thinking about the election for President of the United States next year, if the election were held today and the candidates were Democrat Barack Obama or Republican Sarah Palin, for whom would you vote or are you undecided?”

Respondents who had “strong” views favored Obama 34 percent to Palin’s 25 percent.

Obama’s margin goes to 42 percent versus 36 percent to Palin when voters who described their views as “not so strong,” or just leaning a particular way were added in to the results.

Sixteen percent of the respondents said they were undecided and another 7 percent volunteered a different candidate.

Hays gives the margin of error at 4.4 percent.

The last time Alaska voters favored a Democrat for president was Lyndon Johnson in 1964.