CBS Poll: Clinton, Obama Tied

McCain Has Big Lead Among Republicans; Also, Most Americans Think Economy Is In Recession

(CBS)  With only one full day remaining before voters in more than 20 states head to the polls on Super Tuesday, the races for the Democratic and Republican nominations could not be more different, a new CBS News poll finds.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are running neck-and-neck among Democratic primary voters, while John McCain appears to have solidified his status as the Republican Party's front-runner, opening up a wide margin over his nearest rival for the GOP nomination, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The economy is likely to weigh heavily on the minds of Super Tuesday voters as they head to the polls - more than half of Americans now think the economy is in a recession and they believe overwhelmingly that the worst is yet to come.

The poll found that Clinton and Obama both have the support of 41 percent of Democratic primary voters - a drastic change from early January, when Clinton led Obama by 15 percentage points. While Clinton's overall support has remained steady, Obama has made significant gains among men, particularly white men, and African Americans. White male voters are split nearly evenly between the two Democrats, and Obama holds an 12 percentage point advantage among men overall.

Obama has also seen his support among women rise by 11 percentage points, and he now trails Clinton by only 7 percentage points among that group. He trails Clinton narrowly among Democrats but leads her among independent voters by 13 percentage points.

Clinton's edge on the question of electability has also evaporated as voters have seen Obama win by comfortable margins in Iowa and South Carolina while placing a close second to Clinton in New Hampshire and Nevada. The survey found that 46 percent of Democratic primary voters think Clinton would make the best general election candidate, while 41 percent said that of Obama - as recently as December, only 14 percent believed the Illinois senator made a better general election candidate.

Clinton holds a similar advantage on the question of which Democrat is most likely to win the nomination. Forty-five percent of those surveyed, including nearly one-in-four Obama backers, believes she will eventually prevail in her bid to be the first female presidential nominee of a major party.

The picture in the states voting on Super Tuesday is not nearly as close as the overall picture and offers some good news for Clinton. Among voters in those states, she leads Obama, 49 percent to 31 percent, with 16 percent still undecided.

Clinton also holds a big edge on the issue of most concern to Democratic voters: the economy. Nearly 60 percent say she would do a better job of managing the economy than Obama. However, more than two-thirds of Democratic voters see the policy differences between the two candidates as minor. .

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Read The Complete CBS News Poll On The Republican Race
The Democratic Race
The Economy, Iraq and President Bush

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There is still some fluidity in the Democratic race, with 14 percent saying they're still undecided between the two candidates. Also, over a third of those favoring Clinton and 42 percent of those leaning toward Obama say their minds could change before they cast their ballot.

The poll was conducted after John Edwards' exit from the race, but neither candidate appears to have gained an edge in the wake of his departure. Many of the undecided voters surveyed said they once backed the former North Carolina senator.

While the national race for the Democratic nomination appears to be a toss-up, John McCain seems on his way to effectively wrapping up the GOP nomination on Feb. 5, if not soon thereafter. He now has the support of 46 percent of Republican primary voters, compared to only 23 percent who support Romney and 12 percent who back former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

[mstiger71]

I think Obama has a real good chance now. I also agree with some of the other comments. The Clintons don''t have what it takes anymore. I think they are over for the most part. Not saying that she does not have a chance to win. I think she might have a good chance.

[smartpolitic]

Obama is a master deluder & I hope america wakes up & vote based on values & leadership qualities. His speeches are amiable, but vague & clumsy. He is perfect reflection of President Bush in the tactics, whom created more problems then solved it, becuase of the special interests. We don''t need another president who is going to serve the special intertests & without a leadership quality & experience.
By the way who cares if he was right about Iraq war. Attacking Iraq was the right move, but the wrong part is the facts that justified the attack & the handling of the occupation.
I am supporting Hillary, because she is aware & taking seriously the problem that the next president need to address diligently. She is the real "Change".

[b-easy63]

Premise matters as does foundation--we were hamstrung by Clinton with NAFTA, then Bush decided we should enter a grueling Ididerot, and that we should run with our hamstrings cut and do handstands, back bends and somersaults at the same time--now both Clinton, Bush and America wonder why we are flat on our back---and Hilary supporters think--because they got up and ran in 1992--they can do so again--look down--we have no hands and we have no legs---we are not the same country economically or manufacture wise or even culturally that we were in 1992 or 1994.

[b-easy63]

The Clinton administration got rid of the national deficit ...
Posted by WomenOnGuard at 04:57 PM : Feb 05, 2008


Bill and Hilary do not have the same advantages this time as they did before..

1. Like having inherited a country just after Taxes were already raised by a Republican President and reaping the windfall. 2. Like having an opposition Congress that not only demanded a balanced budget, but also demanded all programs get slashed including Welfare and other spending. 3. finally, like having a mfg base to kick start the economy and provide jobs and workers/technology through innovations in technology (dot com) and a strong mfg base

Due to NAFTA which Bill put into place, Democrats will be juggling pretty much the same balls they did in 1992--except Bush has made them all medicine balls and nightmares and Bill has already cut off our hands and arms by outsourcing both labor and mfg to foreign lands with cheap labor. If the Clintons fail to "fix" the economy--think about this post and try to learn its import.

[ycmartin]

Please take the time to examine the history of the Clintons. It is like some unknown alien gas washed away the past. Go back and look at the Clintons. You will find corruption, perjury, impeachment, and selling influence to all takers. These two are not shining examples for america. Rather they are examples of what is wrong in politics. Those of us old enough to have lived through the Nixon years and Nixon''s beleif he could sell any lie and do anything he wanted to do without fear of the consequences look at the Clintons as being cut from the same cloth. NO MORE CLINTONS''

[b-easy63]

CORRECTIONS:

I remember the days of Nancy Reagan, where she and every other Republican wore RED to signal their affiliation with the GOP. Conversely, the Democratic ladies favored blue--as their color of choice. And so it went for decades. Now enter Bush with a blue tie--albeit sky blue--maybe signalling with that, and his immigration and Dubai dealings and Port leanings that he was not so different from Democrats after all. Now we have Hilary--continually wearing red--the color of Republican ladies and maybe--girls who are still Gold Water Republicans at heart--she may have to pretend to be a Democrat for the sake of infiltrating their party--but at least she shows her "true colors" in how she backs Bush on votes and not so subtly--in the colors she chooses while on the campaign trail.

Posted by b-easy63 at 05:04 PM : Feb 05, 2008

[b-easy63]

REALLY?!?!

I don''''t usually listen to what "Limbaugh in drag" says. I didn''''t know she was a Clinton supporter.

Posted by hungry1968 at 10:19 AM : Feb 05, 2008


coulter said that Hilary was far more conservative than McCAin and that if it came down to Hilary and McCAin, she might campaign for the better conservative or Hilary--herself. Hilary does have some very interesting views--not shaped by liberalism or even tolerance--like endorsing torture or advocating the continual expansion of FISA and wiretapping of the American citizenry--by a Presidency and DOJ that has already shown themselves to be rogue and without respect for laws or Constitution. WE understand why the loyal Republicans endorsed and voted to help Bush on these issues--we will probably never understand why Hilary did--unless it was a poll or something that told her most Americans don''t mind being tapped or having people be tortured--that occurred on the day of her vote. Hilary has always been a sucker for the poll of the moment and its influence on her vote--for that day.

[b-easy63]

I remember the days of Nancy Reagan, where she and every other Republican wore read to signal their affiliation with the GOP. Conversely, the Democratic ladies favored blue--as their color of choice. And so it went for decades. Now enter Bush with a blue tie--albeit sky blue--maybe signalling with that, and his immigration and Dubai dealings and Port leanings that he was not so different from Democrats after all. Now we have Hilary--continually wearing red--the color of Republican ladies and maybe--girls who are still Gold Water Republicans at heart--she may have to pretend to be a Democrat for the sake of infiltrating their party--but at least she shows her "true colors" in how she backs Bush on votes and not so subtly--in the colors she chooses while on the campaign trail.

[Martha Z]

Clinton is the best candidate choice to fix our economy, hands down! The Clinton administration got rid of the national deficit when the first Bush was in office and the Clintons will do it again after the present Bush.

[tibu987]

Vote against politics as usual.
Vote against members of Washingtons "good ole boys"
club.
Vote for change.
Vote for Obama.

72 year old white veteran.