Hillary Drops, Gore and Kerry Gain Among Dems

Angus Reid Global Scan: Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding on to first place among several prospective Democratic Party nominees for the 2008 United States presidential election, according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 32 per cent of Democrat supporters say they would vote for the New York senator in a primary ballot, down 11 points since March.

Former vice-president Al Gore is second on the list with 15 per cent, followed by current Massachusetts senator and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry with 13 per cent, and 2004 vice-presidential candidate and former North Carolina senator John Edwards with nine per cent.

Support is lower for Delaware senator Joseph Biden, retired general Wesley Clark, Virginia governor Mark Warner, and Indiana senator Evan Bayh.

Rodham Clinton—a former first lady—was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, defeating Republican Rick Lazio by 12 percentage points. She ruled out a presidential bid in 2004.

On Aug. 31, Rodham Clinton said the U.S. is ready to elected a female president, saying, "It just depends on, you know, when and if that happens. Stay tuned."

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.

Polling Data

If the 2008 Democratic presidential primary were held today, for whom would you vote if the candidates were:



Aug. 2006


Mar. 2006


Sept. 2005

Hillary Rodham Clinton


32%


43%


42%

Al Gore


15%


12%


11%

John Kerry


13%


10%


14%

John Edwards


9%


11%


14%

Joseph Biden


4%


4%


5%

Wesley Clark


4%


4%


1%

Mark Warner


2%


3%


1%

Evan Bayh


2%


2%


n.a.

Other


2%


--


3%

Not sure


18%


10%


8%

Would not vote


1%


1%


2%

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30, 2006. Margin of error for the sample of registered Democratic voters is 5 per cent.