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Obama Closer to Hillary in Iowa Race
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a slight edge in the Hawkeye State, according to a poll by the University of Iowa. 28.9 per cent of Democratic caucus voters would back the New York senator in next year’s United States presidential contest.
Illinois senator Barack Obama is a close second with 26.6 per cent, followed by former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 20 per cent, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson with 7.2 per cent, and Delaware senator Joe Biden with 5.3 per cent.
In the sample of Republican Party supporters, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is first with 36.2 per cent, followed by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani with 13.1 per cent, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee with 12.8 per cent, actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with 11.4 per cent, Arizona senator John McCain with six per cent, and Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo with 2.2 per cent.
Since 1976, the Iowa caucus has kicked off the process of finding presidential nominees for the two major political parties in the United States. The caucus differs from a presidential primary because the casting of ballots in favour of a particular candidate is preceded by a "gathering of neighbours" where specific platform issues are discussed.
In 2004, Massachusetts senator John Kerry won the Democratic Iowa caucus with 38 per cent, followed by Edwards with 32 per cent, former Vermont governor Howard Dean with 18 per cent, Missouri congressman Dick Gephardt with 11 per cent, and Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich with one per cent. Incumbent president George W. Bush won the Republican caucus unopposed.
Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next U.S. presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.
Polling Data
Democrats - If your caucus was today, who would you support for president at your caucus? Just tell me the name.
|
Oct. 2007 |
Aug. 2007 |
|
|
Hillary Rodham Clinton |
28.9% |
26.8% |
|
Barack Obama |
26.6% |
22.3% |
|
John Edwards |
20.0% |
22.1% |
|
Bill Richardson |
7.2% |
8.5% |
|
Joe Biden |
5.3% |
n.a. |
|
Other |
3.3% |
4.1% |
|
Don’t know |
8.9% |
16.2% |
Republicans - If your caucus was today, who would you support for president at your caucus? Just tell me the name.
|
Oct. 2007 |
Aug. 2007 |
|
|
Mitt Romney |
36.2% |
26.9% |
|
Rudy Giuliani |
13.1% |
11.3% |
|
Mike Huckabee |
12.8% |
2.6% |
|
Fred Thompson |
11.4% |
6.5% |
|
John McCain |
6.0% |
3.2% |
|
Tom Tancredo |
2.2% |
4.2% |
|
Sam Brownback |
n.a. |
4.2% |
|
Other |
3.5% |
10.0% |
|
Don’t know |
14.9% |
31.3% |
Source: University of Iowa
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 306 likely Republican caucus voters in Iowa, and 285 likely Democratic caucus voters in Iowa, conducted from Oct. 17 to Oct. 24, 2007. Margins of error are 5.6 per cent and 5.8 per cent.