March 28, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Republican John McCain is barely ahead of Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in the United States, according to a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. 46 per cent of respondents would vote for the Arizona senator in this year’s presidential election, while 44 per cent would back the New York senator.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Republican John McCain is barely ahead of Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in the United States, according to a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. 46 per cent of respondents would vote for the Arizona senator in this year’s presidential election, while 44 per cent would back the New York senator.

Support for McCain increased by one point since early March, while backing for Rodham Clinton fell by three points. In a separate match-up, McCain trails Illinois senator Barack Obama by two points.

Yesterday, Democratic Connecticut senator Chris Dodd discussed the current state of affairs in his party’s race for the presidential nomination, saying, "We’ve got five more months to go before the Democratic convention at the end of August and, candidly, we cannot go five more months with the kind of daily sniping that’s going on and have a candidate emerge in that convention. (...) Over the next couple of weeks, (...) the national leadership of this party has to stand up and reach a conclusion."

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. Democratic nominee John Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The presidential election is scheduled for Nov. 4.

Polling Data

If the next election for president were held today, and John McCain were the Republican candidate and (...) were the Democratic candidate, for whom would you vote?

McCain vs. Rodham Clinton

	Mar. 25	Mar. 7	Jan. 2008
John McCain (R)	46%	45%	46%
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D)	44%	47%	44%
Depends	1%	1%	1%
Neither / Other	4%	3%	3%
Not sure	5%	4%	6%

McCain vs. Obama

	Mar. 25	Mar. 7	Jan. 2008
Barack Obama (D)	44%	47%	42%
John McCain (R)	42%	44%	42%
Depends	3%	1%	4%
Neither / Other	4%	3%	5%
Not sure	7%	5%	7%

Source: Hart/McInturff / The Wall Street Journal / NBC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 700 registered American voters, conducted on Mar. 24 and Mar. 25, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.