Washington Post: Hillary Clinton's Lead Holds

Hillary's Leads

Among Democrats, Clinton led in the survey with 37 percent support, to 20 percent for Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.). Former vice president Al Gore, who has said he has no plans to run, had the support of 17 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents; former senator John Edwards (N.C.) stood at 14 percent. No other Democrat received more than 3 percent.

In late February, Clinton led with 36 percent to Obama's 24 percent. Since then, Obama has not maintained the momentum he had shown in attracting black support. In the new poll, 43 percent of blacks preferred Clinton for the Democratic nomination and 34 percent preferred Obama.

Democrats remained far more satisfied with their field of candidates than did Republicans. Fully 80 percent of Democrats said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their choices; 65 percent of Republicans were satisfied with GOP candidates. Republican unrest has only increased in the past two months, providing a push to Thompson's possible candidacy.

Beyond the primaries, the survey paints the portrait of an electorate still evenly and deeply divided. Four of the six major candidates -- McCain, Clinton, Giuliani and Romney -- are considered unacceptable by at least 40 percent of all Americans.

Hillary Beating Obama

Hillary Clinton strong among Dems, two-to-one over Obama, others

Posted by Mark Silva at 11:04 am CDT

The fundraising in the presidential campaign of 2008 may have grown highly competitive, but Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York continues to hold a commanding lead among Democrats surveyed, the latest Gallup Poll shows.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois has nearly matched Clinton in the first round of party fundraising – each of them banking $25 million and up in just three months, demonstrating how competitive the junior senator from Illinois will be in the campaign ahead. But Clinton continues to hold a two-to-one advantage over Obama in polling among Democrats, with an advantage that the New York senator has held since the two staked claims to the race in January growing in the latest results from Gallup.

Clinton also announced an endorsement today: Geraldine Ferraro, who became the first woman to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket when she ran with Walter Mondale in 1984 and maintains that Clinton’s candidacy “can smash the ultimate glass ceiling once and for all…. And in doing so,’’ Ferraro said, “we will be electing the most qualified and experienced candidate for president.”

This is not a new allegiance: Clinton’s husband, the former president, had appointed Ferraro to lead the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in 1993, and she serves as a board member of the National Democratic Institute of International Affairs.

“No one has done more to pave the way for women running for office than Geraldine Ferraro,” Hillary Clinton said in a statement today. “She has been an inspiring leader, and I’m honored to have her support.”

But this isn’t the only support which Clinton claims today:

Clinton “remains the dominant presidential front-runner among Democrats nationally,’’ Gallup’s Frank Newport reports, with Clinton claiming “ twice the support as her nearest challenger,’’ Obama.

Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, and former Vice President Al Gore, who says he isn’t running, also are “bunched in second place’’ with Obama. But if Gore’s name is removed from the survey and his supporters' second-place choices are substituted, Clinton's lead becomes “even more dominant,” with Obama and Edwards tied far behind.

The survey conducted April 2-5 also shows that positions have held fairly steady since January.

“The trend for Obama has been relatively static,’’ Newport reports. “The Illinois senator ends up in this latest April poll essentially where he was last January; Obama gets exactly half of the vote given to Clinton.’’

Edwards has “held his own,’’ Newport notes – averaging 13 percent across five polls of Democrats, and 15 percent in the latest. “Unannounced candidate Gore’’ drew 14% of the Democrats surveyd in this poll.

These are the standings of the leading candidates and potential candidates among Democrats and independents leaning Democratic who were surveyed by Gallup this month (The sample of 491 people surveyed carries a possible margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points):

Clinton: 38 percent, compared with her standing of 29 percent in January.

Obama: 19 percent, compared with 18 percent in January.

Edwards: 13 percent, compared with 15 in January.

Gore: 14 percent, 13 in January.

Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark: 3 percent, 2 in January.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: 2 percent, 3 in January.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: 1 percent, 5 in January.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, below 1 percent, 1 in January.

Hillary Clinton Leads in California

CBS 5 Poll: Calif. Voters Favor Clinton, Giuliani

Hillary Leads in California

Polls PDF


CBS 5) SAN FRANCISCO California is finally set to be a major player in the presidential primary after the legislature on Tuesday approved a bill to move the primary election from June to Feb. 5, which would make it the largest of 18 states to hold its primary that day.

So, if the election were held today, who would win the California primary?

According to a CBS 5 statewide poll conducted by Survey USA, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has a double-digit lead over fellow Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois among likely California Democratic voters. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is running a distant third, followed by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Among the state's likely Republican voters, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani holds a commanding lead over Arizona Sen. John McCain. Former congressman Newt Gingrich, who isn't even running, is currently in third place, according to the poll, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Likely Bay Area voters have similar presidential preferences to voters in the rest of the state, except for two key candidates.

Clinton, who has a big statewide lead in the CBS 5 poll, is running second in the Bay Area. Not only is Obama leading Clinton in the Bay Area by a narrow margin, but his support is stronger in the Bay Area than in any other region of California.

Clinton's statewide lead comes entirely from women, while Obama has strong support among blacks.

"I think a lot of people do feel like they want a member of their own group to represent them, that that person will bring a special perspective to the position that a white male, which is what we've had up until now, might not understand," said San Jose State University assistant professor of political science Melinda Jackson.

Clinton's 22-point lead among women is topped by Obama's 24-point lead among blacks. But no Democratic candidate has a lock on any one group of voters.

Obama appeals to voters looking for a change.

"Personally, he comes across real well," said voter Geri Comstock. "I don't think he has enough experience, but at this point, I'm willing to overlook that."

Clinton's strength is her high recognition.

"Hillary, I'm pretty sure, she's pretty similar to her husband," said Webster Lincoln, "So I guess it's a safe move because we already know pretty much what she's about."