'NYT': Poll Shows Incredible McCain Surge Nationally -- Obama Gains But Trails Clinton

New York Times/CBS poll
By E&P Staff

Published: January 13, 2008 7:10 PM ET

NEW YORK A new New York Times/CBS poll shows that John McCain, in just one month, has gone from afterthought to the easy first choice among Republicans nationally for the party's nod. It also found Barack Obama perhaps ready to challenge Hillary Clinton for his party's nomination across the country.

McCain had been favored by only 7% and now has the backing of 33%.

"Senator Barack Obama’s victory in Iowa has improved his standing within the party on a critical measure — his electability," the Times reports tonight. "The percentage of Democrats who say he would be the strongest candidate against the Republicans has more than doubled in a month, to 35 percent, from 14 percent in December." Clinton does still lead him in the overall tally.

The poll’s findings are based on a national telephone survey conducted Jan. 9-12 with 1,061 registered voters; it has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. Here is an excerpt from the article at www.nytimes.com.
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Former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, who won the Iowa caucuses and whose favorability ratings also jumped, was the choice of 18 percent of Republican primary voters. Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York, who is focusing his campaign on later contests, had the most precipitous fall; he was the choice of 10 percent of Republican voters, down from 22 percent last month. Support for other candidates was in single digits.

The poll also had especially worrisome signs for former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who was beaten in both Iowa and New Hampshire and is in a tough three-way battle in Michigan against Mr. McCain and Mr. Huckabee. Not only did support for him among Republican voters plummet over the past month, but he was viewed much less favorably than a month ago....

The poll showed a more stable Democratic race: Among Democratic primary voters nationally, Mrs. Clinton remains the favorite of 42 percent, compared with 27 percent backing Mr. Obama — essentially unchanged since December. Former Senator John Edwards remains in third place with 11 percent.


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