by Mark Silva
Sen. Hillary Clinton maintains a strong lead among Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire, four months before the nation's first 2008 presidential primary elections. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney faces a closer contest among Republicans four months out.
Yet only half of all Democrats surveyed and fewer than one-third of Republicans are very or completely satisfied with the choices they face.
Clinton is the choice of 36 percent of the Democrats surveyed in the new Franklin Pierce University survey. Sen. Barack Obama draws the support of 18 percent, John Edwards 12, Bill Richardson 10.
Al Gore, the 2000 presidential nominee who carried the first-in-the-nation primary among Democrats that year, still draws the support of 5 percent -- though he is not running.
Romney is the favorite among 30 percent of the Republicans surveyed, Rudy Giuliani 23 percent, John McCain 14 percent and Fred Thompson 8 percent.
And while half of the Democrats surveyed say they are very or completely satisfied with their party's candidates, only 31 percent of Republicans said so.
Sixt- one percent of the Democrats surveyed said they think Clinton will win the party's nomination, a steady climb in that indicator since spring.
Twenty-nine percent of the Republicans said they believe Giuliani is likeliest to capture the GOP nomination, and 26 percent said Romney.
The survey of 803 voters for Franklin Pierce University and WBZ conducted by RKM Research and Communication was taken Sept 11-14. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points in both party contests.
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Comments
The Repugs want Hillary to win because they think they can beat her, be careful what you wish for, Wingnuts.
Posted by: John E | September 18, 2007 5:33 PM
Stick a fork in Obama, he's done
Posted by: Anonymous | September 18, 2007 8:37 PM
With Obama we will get sound judgment and open government reforms. Obama has proven his judgment and throughout his career has fought for open government and ethics reforms. Hillary has nothing in her so-called "experience" to point to that proves her judgment. Furthermore, her closed process for health care reform served as the model for Cheney's energy task force. It's time for a new direction.
Posted by: Jeremy | September 18, 2007 9:22 PM
With her awesome plan to insure affordable health care for all americans she will surely bump up in the polls and solidify her already impressive lead. Congrats, Hillary!!
Posted by: Ryan | September 18, 2007 10:51 PM
Mark Silva's opinion in The Swamp (September 18) that Hillary Clinton holds a “rock solid” lead in New Hampshire is quite premature.
The Franklin Pierce and other recent polls of likely New Hampshire voters in our primary fail to survey any of the 44% of New Hampshire voters who do not register as Republican or Democrat, but as "Undeclared." These undeclared voters can vote in the Democratic presidential primary. In 2006, their votes made New Hampshire a blue state.
The Franklin Pierce poll and other polls reveal that slightly more than half of the state’s Democrats are happy with their primary candidates. Yet, nearly two thirds of New Hampshire Democrats want someone other than Clinton. This figure has not changed after 15 visits, 37 events and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by the Clintons in our state during the last nine months.
Polls conducted four months ahead of an election are notoriously inaccurate. Remember President Howard Dean?
--Farrell S. Seiler, State Coordinator
Draft Gore New Hampshire
PO Box 463
Littleton, NH 03561
Farrell@DraftGoreNH.com
Posted by: Farrell S. Seiler | September 19, 2007 10:51 AM
Mandatory enrollment in a healthcare insurance programs, with no subsequent requirements on the Health Insurance providers for better services and reasonable rates - WILL NEVER FLY in this country.
If Hil got outta bed with the Pharma-lobby long enough, she would realize that Arnold is fighting the same losing battle against liberals in CA who desperately want universal coverage for the needy and middle class, but refuse to abandon freedom of choice to get their.
Try again, Hillary and sorry Ryan.
Posted by: ProblemWithCaRING | September 19, 2007 4:55 PM