Mike Davis

@byMikeDavis

WEST LONG BRANCH - Republican nominee Donald Trump has opened up a five-point lead over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Missouri, ending what had been a "virtual tie" in the Show Me State, according to a Monmouth University poll.

According to the poll, conducted between Oct. 9 and Oct. 11, about 46 percent of likely Missouri voters support Trump, while 41 percent back Clinton.

An additional 5 percent intend to vote for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, and 2 percent support Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate.

About 5 percent of voters are undecided.

POLL: Clinton leading Trump nationally, seen as 'lesser of two evils'

A recently released “Access Hollywood” video that showed Trump making sexually charged comments, including that men could grab a celebrity woman "by the p——," did not seem to have an effect on voters' opinions of the Republican nominee.

According to the poll:

57 percent of likely voters had seen or listened to the recording.

33 percent had read or heard about Trump's comments.

70 percent of voters were "not really surprised" by the comments.

35 percent of voters feel that Trump's comments make him "unfit for office."

51 percent said Trump's comments were "inappropriate but not necessarily disqualifying."

10 percent of voters were not familiar with the recording.

14 percent were "surprised but not shocked."

5 percent were "shocked."

“Voter opinion of these two candidates has been baked in for some time. The ‘Access Hollywood’ revelation does not seem to have had an impact. That’s probably because few voters were actually surprised to hear Trump say these things,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

MORE: NJ voters mostly decry lewd Trump comments

About 52 percent of voters said Clinton had the "right temperament" to serve as president, while 38 percent said the same about Trump.

“The recently released tapes and Trump’s temperament in general are not disqualifying factors for a significant chunk of Missouri voters,” Murray said.

Trump has firm support among white men, with 62 percent of the vote and a 36-point margin. White women are evenly divided, with 42 percent of voters supporting both Trump and Clinton.

EDITORIAL: Clinton is our choice for president

“The gender difference among white voters in Missouri is pretty much in line with Trump’s support in other states now,” Murray said.

Missouri voters still have unfavorable opinions of both candidates: Only 32 percent like Trump, while just 30 percent like Clinton.

Mike Davis: 732-643-4223; mdavis@gannettnj.com