Clinton and Obama tied in polls
With less than a month to go before the first Presidential primary, Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are in a statistical dead heat according to the results of the latest CNN/WMUR poll released this morning.
Not long ago, Clinton was thought to have a pretty substantial lead over her Oprah-backed competitor, but in the last few months the gap has narrowed.
Since the last CNN/WMUR poll conducted in November, the former First Lady has dropped 5 percentage points (she’s currently sitting at 31 percent) while Obama has jumped 8 points to 30 percent.
CNN Polling Director Keating Holland suggested in an article posted to the news site that Clinton’s waning numbers can be attributed to a loss of support among women.
“Clinton’s support among Democratic women in New Hampshire has dropped from 43 percent to 33 percent,” Holland said.
“By contrast, her support among men dropped only 1 point to 27 percent in that same time period.”
That said, Democratic voters participating in the poll indicated they still consider Clinton to have the most experience and the best chance of defeating a Republican competitor.
The same voters, on the other hand, consider Obama more believable, more likable and more likely to unite the country.
Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has a hefty lead over his competitors, according to the poll, despite Mike Huckabee’s meteoric rise elsewhere in the country.
Romney captured 32 percent of the CNN/WMUR poll, with competitors Rudy Giuliani and John McCain at 19 percent and Huckabee at 9 percent.
Suggests Holland: “This race is not over by a long shot. Forty-three percent of Democratic primary voters, and a whopping 55 percent of GOP voters, say they are still trying to make up their minds.”
Bryan Ochalla © 2007 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.
