Here’s a good snapshot of what’s happening in the 2016 presidential race by the poll numbers. A majority (51%) of Democrats seem to be favoring Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. On the other side, a plurality (45%) of Republicans are simply “undecided” among the crowded field. To illustrate the backwards nature of the polling, USAToday put together this nice graphic.
Report from USAToday:
No wonder so many Republicans are considering a bid for president in 2016: It may be the most wide-open field ever.
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds Republican and Republican-leaning voters scattered among 18 prospective nominees when asked an open-ended question about whom they want the GOP to nominate for president next year. “Undecided” finishes first, at 45%, trailed by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney at 16% and former Florida governor Jeb Bush at 13%.
No one else gets close to double digits, though potential contenders including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and others make the list of those mentioned.
The contrast couldn’t be sharper with the other side. A 51% majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters name former secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as their preferred nominee; 31% are undecided. Just 5% name Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a favorite of progressive activists, and 4% Vice President Biden.
As you can see, there is a large discrepancy between how the voting population is feeling about their options. This isn’t to say that Hillary has the nomination in hand, but her polling would look intimidating to anyone hoping to challenge her in the primary.
