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Hillary shows staying power
05/12/2007 21:14 - (SA)
Washington - Latest opinion polls 29 days before first voting for 2008 presidential nominees reveal a chaotic Republican race, and suggest under-fire Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has staying power.
Republican hopeful Mike Huckabee, who has rocked the race with a come-from-nowhere charge in leadoff voting state Iowa, is also picking up steam nationally, according to a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll.
The former Arkansas governor, basking in glowing press coverage, has risen to second place countrywide, on 17% of Republican-leaning voters, and clipped Giuliani's pace-setting figure to 23%.
Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, had added 10 points since a similar poll in October, while Giuliani lost 9%, the Times poll said.
They were trailed nationally by Fred Thompson (14%), John McCain (11%), Mitt Romney (9%), and Ron Paul (5%).
While Huckabee has overturned Romney's long-time lead in Iowa, according to a Des Moines Register poll at the weekend, the former Massachusetts governor is holding firm in New Hampshire, which holds primary elections on January 8.
Romney has the backing of 37% of likely primary voters in New Hampshire, almost twice the 20% mark of second place Arizona Senator John McCain, in a Washington Post/ABC poll released on Wednesday.
Former New York Mayor Giuliani was third at 16%, according to the poll while Huckabee is mired on just 9%.
Evangelical support
Polls show that Huckabee garners strong support among evangelical Christians in Iowa, but religious conservatives, many of whom are suspicious of Romney's Mormon faith, are less prevalent in New Hampshire.
Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton, despite mounting attacks from her rivals, still laps the field in the national picture with the support of 45% of likely Democratic voters in the LA Times poll.
Top challengers Barack Obama and John Edwards posted slight improvements since the October poll at 21% and 11% respectively.
National polls, while less relevant to the state-by-state process of picking nominees than state surveys, offer a sign of a candidate's broader national prospects, and help them raise crucial campaign cash.
There was more favourable news for Clinton in a survey which showed her with large leads over her party rivals in three states likely to play a crucial role in the November 2008 general election.
In the Quinnipiac University survey in Florida, she topped Obama 53% to 17%, led him 45% to 19% in Ohio, and by 43% to 15% in Pennsylvania.
The poll cannot answer the question however what would happen to Clinton's lead in the trio of states if she lost in Iowa or New Hampshire.
'Very close fight'
Giuliani led Republicans in the three states, but by smaller margins.
"These Democratic primary numbers are a good indication that despite the tight three-way race in Iowa, the fight for the nomination is not very close," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the university's polling institute.
"The Republican primary race remains as muddled as the Democratic side seems clear in these three big states."
Clinton is facing a tough fight ahead of the Iowa caucuses on January 3 though, with most polls showing the race at statistical dead-heat.
The Des Moines Register poll showed the former first lady had slipped behind Obama 28% to 25% among likely caucus goers.
- AFP
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