A Close Contest

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination heads to Hawaii and Wisconsin today, with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama neck-and-neck in the delegate count. If a PSRA/ Newsweek poll conducted in early February is any indication, neither has a significant edge among Democrats nationally. Forty-two percent of Democrats say they would most like to see Obama become the Democratic Party’s candidate, compared to 41 percent who say they prefer Clinton. Strength of opinion is similarly split: 60 percent of Obama’s supporters, compared to 62 percent of Clinton’s supporters, describe their support as strong. Forty-three percent of Democrats say Clinton comes closer to their way of thinking on major issues; 42 percent gave that response for Obama. And 84 percent of Democrats say they would be satisfied with a Clinton candidacy—identical to the 84 percent that said they would be satisfied if Obama is the candidate. Source: PSRA/ Newsweek, February 2008.