Hillary Clinton Leads Dem Pack For President, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Bush Tops All Challengers, Hitting 50 Percent

Share

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is the clear favorite among Democratic voters nationwide as they look for a 2004 presidential candidate, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Sen. Clinton gets 42 percent of the Democratic vote, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds, compared to 15 percent for her nearest rival, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt get 11 percent each, followed by 7 percent for North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, 3 percent for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and 2 percent for Rev. Al Sharpton.

Without Clinton, Lieberman gets 27 percent, with 18 percent for Kerry, 16 percent for Gephardt, 14 percent for Edwards, 6 percent for Sharpton and 3 percent for Dean.

"Put Sen. Hillary Clinton in the mix - even though she says she is not running for President - and she sweeps the Democratic field," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Sen. Lieberman's neighbors like him. Quinnipiac University polls in Connecticut consistently show him with exceptionally high marks. And when we take Sen. Clinton out of the Democratic Presidential soup, Lieberman is the main ingredient."

"At this stage, though, it looks as if Democrats are competing for the chance to get thumped by President Bush," Carroll added.

American voters pick Bush over Clinton 52 - 41 percent. Other matchups show:
  • Bush over Lieberman 49 - 43 percent;
  • Bush over Kerry 50 - 42 percent;
  • Bush over Gephardt 51 - 42 percent;
  • Bush over Edwards 50 - 39 percent;
  • Bush over Dean 53 - 36 percent;
  • Bush over Sharpton 61 - 23 percent.
From January 29 - February 3, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,307 American voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percent. The survey includes 441 Democrats with a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percent.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and nationwide as a public service and for research.

For additional data -- www.quinnipiac.edu or call (203) 582-5201

2. Now I'm going to name six Democrats who might run for president in 2004. After I read all six names, tell me which one you would most like to see the Democrats nominate for president in 2004. Here are the choices... Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt, North Carolina Senator John Edwards, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean,and the Reverend Al Sharpton 

                          Dem 



Lieberman                 27% 
Kerry                     18  
Gephardt                  16  
Edwards                   14  
Dean                       3  
Sharpton                   6  
DK/NA                     16
3. Suppose New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton decides to run for president in 2004. Who would you most like to see the Democrats nominate for president in 2004? New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt, North Carolina Senator John Edwards, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and the Reverend Al Sharpton 

                          Dem



Clinton                   42%
Lieberman                 15 
Kerry                     11 
Gephardt                  11 
Edwards                    7 
Dean                       3 
Sharpton                   2 
DK/NA                      8
4. Suppose the general election for president were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Rodham Clinton the Democrat, and George W. Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? 

                          Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom



Clinton                   41%      6%     73%     37%     35%     46%
Bush                      52      92      17      54      57      48
SMONE ELSE(VOL)            2       -       3       2       2       2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)           2       1       2       3       3       1
DK/NA                      3       1       4       4       3       3
5. Suppose ... the candidates were Joe Lieberman the Democrat, and George W. Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? 

                          Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom



Lieberman                 43%      7%     76%     44%     41%     45%
Bush                      49      90      17      45      51      46
SMONE ELSE(VOL)            2       1       1       2       2       1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)           1       1       1       1       2       1
DK/NA                      5       1       5       7       4       6
6. Suppose the general election for president were being held today, and the candidates were John Kerry the Democrat, and George W. Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? 

                          Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom



Kerry                     42%      6%     76%     40%     40%     43%
Bush                      50      91      16      48      53      48
SMONE ELSE(VOL)            1       -       -       2       1       1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)           1       -       1       1       1       -
DK/NA                      7       2       7       9       6       7
7. Suppose... the candidates were Dick Gephardt the Democrat, and George W. Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? 

                          Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom



Gephardt                  42%      5%     75%     43%     38%     46%
Bush                      51      92      18      47      56      46
SMONE ELSE(VOL)            2       1       1       2       2       1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)           1       -       -       1       1       -
DK/NA                      5       2       5       6       4       7
8. Suppose... the candidates were John Edwards the Democrat, and George W. Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? 

                          Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom



Edwards                   39%      6%     71%     40%     36%     42%
Bush                      50      91      17      47      53      48
SMONE ELSE(VOL)            2       -       2       1       2       1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)           1       -       2       1       2       1
DK/NA                      7       2       8      10       7       8
9. Suppose... the candidates were Howard Dean the Democrat, and George W. Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? 

                          Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom



Dean                      36%      5%     67%     35%     32%     39%
Bush                      53      92      20      51      57      50
SMONE ELSE(VOL)            2       -       2       3       2       2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)           2       1       3       2       2       2
DK/NA                      7       2       8       9       6       7
10. Suppose... the candidates were Al Sharpton the Democrat, and George W. Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? 

                          Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom



Sharpton                  24%      4%     45%     22%     22%     26%
Bush                      61      93      34      62      65      58
SMONE ELSE(VOL)            4       -       6       5       4       4
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)           5       1       8       5       5       5
DK/NA                      6       1       7       7       4       7

Poll Questions