CBS Poll: Obama Leaps Ahead In N.H.

New Poll Shows Obama With A Seven-Point Lead Over Clinton On Eve Of Primary

(CBS)  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has opened up a seven-point lead on Hillary Clinton among New Hampshire voters on the eve of that state's primary, according to a new CBS News poll.

Among likely Democratic primary voters, Obama leads Clinton 35 percent to 28 percent with John Edwards getting 19 percent in the poll. The poll re-interviewed the same group of voters that CBS News surveyed in November. In that poll, Clinton led Obama 39 percent to 19 percent with Edwards getting just nine percent support.

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Read The Complete Poll

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By winning the Iowa caucuses, Obama appears to have put questions about his electability to rest for many New Hampshire voters. Forty-two percent in the latest poll said they believe Obama has the best chance of winning the general election, up from just 11 percent in November. In the earlier poll, 72 percent gave Clinton the best chance of winning but 41 percent of those same voters now say so.

And Obama has a large lead among self-described independents, an important block of voters in New Hampshire. Forty-one percent of independents support Obama, compared to just 24 percent who say they are backing Clinton. Clinton maintains a slight lead among Democrats, 33 percent to 30 percent for Obama. More than four in ten likely voters who say they will vote in the Democratic primary are independents.

Both Obama and Clinton are seen as agents of change, a driving theme of the campaign. While 63 percent of respondents said Obama can bring "real change" to Washington, 60 percent said the same for Clinton. But Obama has made headway among New Hampshire voters on the question of experience. Fifty-one percent said Obama is prepared for the presidency, up from 37 percent in the November poll. Eighty-one percent agreed that Clinton is prepared to take over the Oval Office, a number statistically unchanged since the previous survey.

Since November, 26 percent of likely Democratic voters have changed their minds about who to support and the latest survey indicates the race remains fluid. Twenty-eight percent of likely Democratic voters said their minds could still change and nine percent said they remain undecided.

On the Republican side, CBS News reached too small a number of Republican primary voters from the November poll to create a reliable estimate for that race. On the individual level, however, John McCain picked up supporters from other candidates, while Mitt Romney lost some of his November supporters. Mike Huckabee’s win in Iowa did not seem to gain him many new voters in New Hampshire.

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This poll was conducted by telephone January 5-6, 2008 among registered voters in New Hampshire, first interviewed by CBS News and the New York Times November 9-12th, 2007. CBS News re-interviewed 323 likely Democratic Primary voters for this poll. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample of Democratic primary voters could be plus or minus five percentage points. The error on measures of individual change is much smaller.

[babyboomerbe]

You know I keep saying I am not going to get caught up in the "politics" behind the politics of this election. Unfortunately, the media makes it very difficult not to.

What disturbs me about this election is how much the media is doing to sway public opinion. Even after Obama won the Iowa Caucus, Hillary was still the center of attention with their "Why didn''t she win?" news stories.

Now they''re talking about how she showed her vulnerability and choked up when talking about her likeability factor. Was that a news story? NO, but the media chose to make it one. Now they''re going as far as to call her the "Comeback Kid." Tell me, how can that be when she was the front runner from the very beginning? The only thing she came back from was a humiliating loss in Iowa.

If there is a so-called come-back kid, it would have to be John McCain who had a very poor showing in Iowa but came back like gangbusters in NH. Why isn''t the media making more out of his story?

The media and politics make strange bedfellows.

One more thing: One of the female commentators on CNN who labeled herself a baby boomer was quick to point out that baby boomer women in NH were rising to the occasion to support one of their own. Lady, please be advised that Hillary does NOT speak for ALL baby boomers. Just ask Oprah.

[noloyalisti]

Huckabee will institute prayer in our schools. The reason the military supports him is because a lot of those people are on a Christian crusade. God help the world and save them from the imperialist Americans.

Ron Paul is actually a libertarian, you know those guys who don''t want any government. The ones who want someone else to pay for everything. Forget about needed universal health care and any kind of control on the corporations.

I am glad to see how many people know that the real evil are these corporations who take none of the risk and all of the profits. Time for real change. The capitalist system in this country is clearly broken by not having the people control the government as they should.

[aheadofcrowd]

Contributions from Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry:

Clinton:$269,436
Obama:$261,784
Romney:$260,535
Guilliani:$138,850

Kucinich: A measly $5,100


Should''nt we be looking at who our potential president is getting his/her money from?

If we''re going to get it right this time we absolutely need to see who our next president owe''s their allegiance to. Is it going to be the people or a small band of greedy and dangerous corporations?

Let''s get it right this time because we see how it can effect our world if we don''t.


http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?Ind=H04

[jumpyg1258]

Obama claims he is for change but what is really different about him? Hes a member of the CFR like Bush, hes backed by the corporate media, hes voted for war funding, he wishes to keep in place the Fed which is devaluing the dollar to nothingness, I mean what is so different about him? The only one that will bring about change is the one not getting any coverage since the media who currently is in power is afraid of change, Ron Paul. He will restore our freedoms by removing the Patriot Act and Military Commissions Act, he will remove us from all foreign wars, he will dissolve the Fed and stop printing money out of thin air which is causing inflation, he will stop all of our jobs from going overseas by ending NAFTA and CAFTA, he will cut our spending by half by dissolving needless departments such as Homeland Security and Dept. of Education.

If we think that by electing a Democrat there will be change in our country, all you have to look at is the results of the 2006 elections that did nothing for us. That supposed change happened due to a desire to get us out of Iraq and did they do what was asked of them? I think not. The two party system is just an illusion given unto the people of this country to feel as if they have a choice in the matter. The very fact that Ron Paul''s own party will not allow him to debate shows who will really bring about change. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WAKE UP AMERICA AND VOTE FOR SOMEONE THAT WILL CHANGE THINGS HERE IN AMERICA, RON PAUL.

[gunownerdan]

Protect liberty and the Constitution, support Dr. Ron Paul.
ronpaul2008.com

[marinepatriot]

The first results are in:

"On the Republican side, McCain received six votes, Mike Huckabee five, Ron Paul four and Mitt Romney one."

So far Mccain and Huckabee head to head!!! Romney in free-fall!!!

Mike Huckabee was named as one of Americas top 5 governors in Time magazine!

Mike Huckabee consistently reduced taxes and left Arkansas with a billion dollar surplus!

Mike Huckabee was the most successful governor in Arkansas for over 10 years!

Mike Huckabee beleives in some things, and he stands for some things! And those things are what we common Americans believe in!

Mike is an authentic conservative, but more importantly, an authentic human being!

Mike Huckabee is from the people, for the people!

Mike Huckabee spent 1 doallar to Mitt Romney''''s 20 but still took more than 10,000 votes for a first place fisnish in Iowa!

Mike Huckabee has the largest support of military members!

Mike Huckabee wants to honor America and finish the job in the war on terror!

Mike Huckabee is a great guy, and the best choice for president I have ever seen!

We like Mike!

Dan Campbell
Sgt., USMC

[davidmwe]

Ron Paul, whom was awesome with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show yesterday evening, is the man truly up to this task. Frankly, Obama is too young and although better than many, not better than Dr. Paul. Research for yourself what Ron Paul will mean for you, for us.

Video from Tonight Show appearance here:

http://newsusa.myfeedportal.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=24

[prayerman3]

Hillary Clinton is the best candidate to run this country. She did more then all the first ladys combind, plus her husband would be the best First man because he was a President who would or could do any better. Everyone forgets that Bill Clinton did , he had our country unemployment at it''''s lowest, wages went up and we didn''''t own billions it was going to $0 .

If americans do not wake up and see that Obama is blowing a smoke screen.Then it will be to late.just like Bush did because Obama just wants a pay check.


If Obama is elected the poor and middleclass will not go any where just like Bush did. Remember how Bush said the same thing we needed change but all Bush cared about was the rich get richer and poor get poor. Obama has not told anyone what he will do on his first day or any other day in office. Obama says we need change but what is he going to change?????

WHAT IS OBAMA GOING TO CHANGE AMERICA???
THAT IS THE MILLIOM DOLLAR QUESTION!!!!!!
OBAMA HAS NEVER SAID WHAT AREAS IS HE GOING TO CHANGE.

HILLARY CLINTON HAS TOLD US WHAT SHE WILL DO EVEN ON HER FIRST DAY. LET US VOTE FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE THIS TIME AND NOT LET OUR COUNTRY BE SOLD OUT.

VOTE FOR HILLARY CLINTON SHES THE RIGHT CANDIDATE, CHOICE AND WILL BE THE ONE TO REALLY CHANGE AMERICA.
THANK YOU
GOD BLESS AMERICA

[bdrlnt4rl]

obama''''s church is racial and support africa only and the sacred land. check it out and get the word out before it is too late.

and if this is not his church, please tell me

www.tucc.org/about.htm

[dgermenis]

You go boy - send Hillary back to the hillbillies in Arkansas.

[clestes-2009]

kevzgrl,

Don''t even bother to respond to such drivel! It is nothing more than inflamatory sprewing fron someone who cannot debate because either he is completely incapable of stringing words together that mean anything or he has nothing worthwhile to say.

Everyone knows the issues of today are far more important than this BS.

[obama1289]

This video switched me to an Obama guy after Biden dropped out. Please watch this moving video! It brought tears to my eyes.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jPev5sEdTjg

[kevzgrl]

Posted by bagdadshere: The question is: Is America ready for its first Black President? If it is should it be a crack and marijuana dependent?
Folks,,,,Think twice before voting in a guy with an arabic name so similar to OSAMA BIN LADEN."

Yes, Mr. Obama admitted he TRIED drugs back in his twenties. Does that make him an adict now??? Yes, his name IS different from John Smith or David Jones - does that make him a Black Panther/Muslim/radical???

What idiocy - when someone different from you comes along, you immediately bring out this kind of garbage - you need to move to an all white, all protestant country where everyone thinks the way you do, everyone behaves the way you do and no one has a new idea or a new way.....Hey, here''s an idea - why don''t you move to BAGHDAD since you seem to like their repressive, conformist society so well...

[ibogans]

all i have to say is,he without sin,cast the first stone.how many men have cheated on ther wife at one time or another. or women for that sake.there will never be a perfect president. how many basters are in the world because of men.men have always fourced women to get what they want.but now,the women are fighting back to take control of there life.and obama might gain the title of presidency but his wife will act as president,and she is racist like opra.there are more blacks out there that are still racist than there are whites. the black refuse to make change.so it will still be a war untill everyone can change. and this change for the younger generation don''t mean where men become stay at home dads unless u are rich enough to take care of your family.when u meet someone and they act nice and treat u nice,u think they are perfect, but did u listen to them behind closed doors to see who they really are. and i am not racist,i am a people of the human race.obama will be fighting for rights of the black of centuries ago, and not for the people. and how many men and women have *** like *** and all behind closed door. *** and all are born that way, they have feeling and desire u want with a man or woman. think about it, could help it if u where born black or white. i''ve met a lot of blacks that can''t stand there own race. and the same with whites. in saying all that, my vote is hillary. because of what she stands for, and she is not racist.

[kevzgrl]

And, by the way mpop4, once was enough.....

[kevzgrl]

To chad55555: Why don''t you get your head out of your bu-tt and lose that tired old "He''s Muslim because of his last name" garbage. Read your own statement: "MAYBE THIS IS WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS WHEN IT SAID ETHINC GROUP WILL TURN AGINST ETHINC IN THE END DAYS." Don''t you think that''s just EXACTLY what YOU are promoting??? MY Bible says God made man in His OWN image, I am not sure just what Bible YOU have been reading lately.....
Barak Obama is the best choice for this country at this time, and I hope people will start taking some time to look at his record and what he has done for Illinois and for the US to date - he DOES have the capability to lead us back to greatness, instead of keeping us in the past with the "it''s always been done that way" mentality of the current crop of politicians who are talking "change" until they get into office. It''s backward people like YOU however, who would like to see us go back to the time before racial equality and the knowledge that a person is what is INSIDE him/her, NOT what the outside looks like.

I will proudly campaign for and vote for Barak Obama, and I am a white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, middle-class AMERICAN who loves my country. From the sound of your post, you DON''T, so maybe you should find someplace else that still subscribes to your racist, pre-60''s rhetoric.

[davek455]

skykk - I watched CBS Evening News yesterday. They interviewed the 64-year old woman who asked Hillary the question which led to her tears. The woman said the question was legit and Hillary''s response was real. I believe the woman, who, before then, was a Barack supporter. Now she''s leaning toward Hillary.

[clestes-2009]

We''ll see. A little too early to be touting Obama as victor.

The real test will come on Feb 5 when 20 states vote. Whomever comes out of that the victor will be the dem nominee and then possible pros and cons can be debated.

[astyles23]

I believe that it is time for a change. Having never seen a black President in the U.S.A. Obama is definetly our chance to get in the White Office! I just hope some racist doesn''t try to assinate him like that do all our black strong leaders in History! I pray the Best Canidate is picked!! Let''s Go Obama!!!

[briannorwood]

chad55555:

Let me guess... you are an undereducated, low wage angry white boy, who''s only solace in this world is your twisted belief that somehow you are genetically superior to others.

Here''s news for you dummy...you are swimming at the shallow end of the gene pool. Don''t believe me? Just look at your parents.