http://www.star-telegram.com/national_news/story/177897.htmlJul. 23, 2007
Clinton has clear lead over Obama in Democratic race
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- By a wide margin, Democrats view Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York as the party's candidate best positioned to win the general election, and she holds a double-digit lead over Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the race for the nomination, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll.
Clinton leads among women and men, has a 2-to-1 lead among those with an education of a high school diploma or less and holds a 30-point advantage among those from households with incomes under $50,000.
How competitive the Democratic contest becomes could turn on the question of whether voters are significantly more interested in a fresh face or in a candidate they see as projecting strong leadership.
Clinton enjoys a substantial edge over Obama among the 4 in 10 Democrats who said that strength and experience are more important than new ideas or a new direction. Even among the 51 percent who prefer a change-oriented candidate -- the core message of Obama's campaign -- Clinton runs even with him.
The poll comes as Democrats assemble in Charleston, S.C., tonight for their fourth debate of the year. The debate, sponsored by CNN and YouTube, will feature questions posted on YouTube, a video-sharing site, by people across the country in what is likely to be one of the most innovative debate formats to date.
The poll was conducted July 18-21 among a random national sample of 1,125 adults.
Poll results
Would you be comfortable with a female head of state?
Yes: 80 percent
"Entirely comfortable": 54 percent
What about an African-American?
Comfortable: 86 percent
"Entirely comfortable": 56 percent
Source: The Washington Post