01/20/03 11:21 PM: Interesting

Some new polling data from Zogby has some interesting results about the field for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Democratic Presidential hopefuls toured Iowa over the weekend looking for support. In a poll of 480 likely Democratic voters conducted by Zogby International January 17-19, Congressman Richard Gephardt of Missouri leads the pack at 19%, followed by Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman (17%) and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry (11%). No other candidate earned more than 5% support.

Six in ten of the likely Democratic voters surveyed said it is likely that President Bush will be re-elected, 40% somewhat likely and 20% very likely.

Seems like Edwards hasn’t gotten his name out, enough, to the people in Iowa. While Iowa is a fairly decent early indicator, I don’t know how much these numbers really mean. There are so many variables at this point it’s very hard to predict how the primary, let alone the general election will turn out.

I am still fairly concerned about the idea of Gephardt or Lieberman running against Bush. More so Lieberman than Gephardt. Lieberman seems too conservative, and not exactly charismatic. Gephardt can give a good speech, which is important, and being from Missouri has a chance to attract midwest voters. However, he is from the St. Louis area, which does not typically enjoy a strong following elsewhere in the state.

I still maintain that our last hope is in John Edwards. Being a newcomer will allow him to distance himself from the failures of the party as of late, and he can truly be a “breath of fresh air” (hopefully). Bush said he wasn’t a “Washington” man, but I mean, come on, his father was President… Edwards built his own fortune, it wasn’t handed to him by his family. He went to state school and made a name for himself on his own. He is someone we can all relate to, and I wish him the best. For his sake, and ours.

Oh, and an interesting side note, I was quoted on a John Edwards “fansite” of sorts. I guess more people are reading my weblog. Thanks, Oliver!

Dave Stroup  Politics