New York Times: Polls Find Voters Weighing Issues Vs. Electability
According to today's this New York Times story on a recent poll findings:
None of the Democrats has a statistically significant lead in Iowa: Mrs. Clinton has the support of 25 percent of respondents, Mr. Edwards 23 percent and Mr. Obama 22 percent. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who has waged a spirited campaign in the state, was named by 12 percent of Democratic caucusgoers.
In New Hampshire, Mrs. Clinton leads with 37 percent, compared with 22 percent for Mr. Obama and 9 percent for Mr. Edwards. Among Republicans, Mr. Romney has the support of 34 percent of respondents, while Mr. Giuliani and Mr. McCain - who won the state in 2000, and has always described it as a warm environment for him - each have the support of 16 percent.
The findings underlined the challenge Mrs. Clinton faces in fighting criticism that she is politically calculating rather than principled, which appears particularly prevalent in Iowa.
Forty-seven percent of Iowa caucusgoers said Mrs. Clinton said what she believed, compared with 48 percent who said she told voters what they wanted to hear. In New Hampshire, where the Clintons have been a strong force in Democratic politics since 1992, 54 percent said Mrs. Clinton said what she believed, while 38 percent said she said what people wanted to hear.
Voters have clearly rallied around one central part of Mr. Obama's message: 37 percent of respondents in Iowa described him as the candidate most likely to bring change to Washington. But Mrs. Clinton's effort to present herself as having the experience to be president has clearly taken hold: 80 percent of Iowa voters described her as prepared to be president, compared with 68 percent who said that of Mr. Edwards and just 42 percent who said that of Mr. Obama.