Despite Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s best efforts, Virginia voters are “hesitant” to go all in for Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in the upcoming presidential primary, with Democrats even shrugging off a potential hang-up with challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders — his “socialist” label
In a new Christopher Newport University poll, Clinton leads Sanders 52 percent to 40 percent. At one point in the school’s polling, she led the field with 65 percent, but that dropped to 40 percent when Vice President Joe Biden was toying with a run.
The poll from the school’s Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy reveals that the state’s voters just aren’t into Clinton the way Democrat McAuliffe hoped they’d be. Dr. Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center, said, “Virginia Democrats continue to be hesitant on Clinton.”
That doesn’t mean they will choose Sanders on March 1, but they appear open to him, his poll added. Consider: 68 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of independents are “unconcerned” by the label Sanders uses to describe his politics, “Democratic-Socialist.”
On the Republican side, Donald Trump is winning, but Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is a close second. Jeb Bush, once the GOP front runner, is nearly hard to find:
— Trump, 28 percent.
— Rubio, 22 percent.
— Sen. Ted Cruz, 19 percent.
— Ben Carson, 7 percent.
— Gov. John Kasich, 7 percent.
— Jeb Bush, 4 percent.
“While Trump is leading in Virginia, Rubio and Cruz are within striking distance,” said Kidd. “Carson, Kasich, and Bush are very long shots at this point, two weeks out.”
Voters in Virginia, which is part of the huge Super Tuesday election day, put Sanders and Rubio on top of the favorability ratings. Bush is at the bottom.
Highlights from CNU’s release:
— Almost two-thirds of Virginia voters have an unfavorable view of Donald Trump, but he holds a solid lead in the Republican primary at 28%.
— Hillary Clinton holds a majority among likely Democratic primary voters, leading Bernie Sanders, 52% to 40%.
— Marco Rubio has the highest favorable rating among all candidates (44%), and seems within range of Trump in the primary at 22%.
— Ted Cruz may be in striking distance at 19%, but the other Republican candidates drop off sharply. With 39% undecided about him, John Kasich has upside potential but not much time to grow from 7%.
— The candidate label “Democratic-Socialist” drives Republicans away (90%) but most Democrats (68%) and Independents (57%) are unconcerned by it.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
