Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
- 2008: Race for the White House
- 2008: The U.S. Electoral College
- Abortion
- Africa
- Angela Merkel
- Death Penalty
- Economy and Globalization
- Environment
- European Union
- George W. Bush
- Global Warming
- Gordon Brown
- Hamas
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq War
- Kevin Rudd
- Latin America
- New Zealand Election 2008
- Nicolas Sarkozy
- North Korea
- Oil and Gas
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Silvio Berlusconi
- Stem Cell Research
- Stephen Harper
- Terrorism
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Democrats
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Republicans
- U.S. Election 2008: The Primaries
- Vladimir Putin
- Yasuo Fukuda
Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Democrats 2008: Rodham Clinton Splits Views
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in the United States are divided in their assessment of Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a poll by CBS News. 43 per cent of respondents have a favourable opinion of the New York senator, while 38 per cent hold an unfavourable view.
Former North Carolina senator John Edwards is next on the list with 34 per cent, followed by former vice-president Al Gore with 32 per cent, Illinois senator Barack Obama with 28 per cent, and Massachusetts senator John Kerry with 22 per cent. At least 46 per cent of respondents hold an unfavourable opinion of both Kerry and Gore.
In the list of 10 prospective presidential candidates for the Democratic Party in the 2008 United States election, five are mostly unfamiliar to the population. More than half of all respondents could not form an opinion on Delaware senator Joe Biden, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich, Connecticut senator Chris Dodd, and Iowa governor Tom Vilsack.
On Jan. 4, Dodd discussed a possible candidacy, saying, "In the next week or two, I'll make a final cut. I'll make a final decision. I'm not going to nail down a date for you today, but sometime in the next couple of weeks. This is a pretty serious step and you want to make sure you make the right one."
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.
Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.
Polling Data
I'm going to name some possible presidential candidates and ask what you think of them. If you haven't heard much about someone I name, just tell me. Is your opinion of (candidate) favourable, not favourable, undecided or haven't you heard enough about (candidate) yet to have an opinion?
Favourable | Unfavourable | Undecided | Not enough | |
Hillary Rodham Clinton | 43% | 38% | 16% | 3% |
John Edwards | 34% | 21% | 26% | 18% |
Al Gore | 32% | 46% | 19% | 2% |
Barack Obama | 28% | 10% | 14% | 47% |
John Kerry | 22% | 48% | 23% | 6% |
Joe Biden | 9% | 14% | 20% | 57% |
Bill Richardson | 7% | 8% | 19% | 66% |
Dennis Kucinich | 4% | 11% | 12% | 73% |
Chris Dodd | 4% | 9% | 13% | 73% |
Tom Vilsack | 4% | 4% | 11% | 81% |
Source: CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 922 American adults, conducted from Jan. 1 to Jan. 3, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.