Clark Jumps Into the Lead Among Democrats in South Carolina

[Renew Deal]

General Wesley Clark has jumped into the lead in ballot preference among likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina according to a survey by the American Research Group. A total of 17% of likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina say they would vote for Clark and 10% say they would vote for North Carolina Senator John Edwards. Ballot preference for the other seven candidates remains in single digits. A month ago, Edwards was leading with 16% of the vote.

These results are based on 600 completed telephone interviews among a statewide random sample of registered voters in South Carolina saying they would definitely vote in the Democratic presidential preference primary. The interviews were conducted October 26 through 30, 2003. The theoretical margin of error for the total sample of 600 is plus or minus 4 percentage points, 95% of the time, on questions where opinion is evenly split.

While Clark leads in ballot preference, 36% of likely Democratic primary voters remain undecided.

Likely Democratic primary voters Oct Sept Aug April Jan

Carol Moseley Braun 5% 4% 1% 1% NI
Wesley Clark 17% 7% 0% 0% 0%
Howard Dean 7% 6% 5% 2% 2%
John Edwards 10% 16% 10% 7% 8%
Dick Gephardt 7% 5% 8% 9% 11%
John Kerry 4% 5% 6% 8% 1%
Dennis Kucinich 1% 1% 1% 0% NI
Joe Lieberman 8% 7% 14% 19% 22%
Al Sharpton 5% 5% 4% 3% 4%
Undecided 36% 42% 48% 47% 51%
NI - Not included

http://americanresearchgroup.com/sc/

[mmonk]

1. We need to start making in roads

good.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

2. Clark/Edwards?

Moderates I can live with.

[gulliver]

7. My dream ticket!

Picture Edwards up against Cheney in a debate!

[Renew Deal]

15. That could be good.

I wouldn't mind seeing Dean give Cheney a verbal smackdown. I think Cheney would try to paint Dean as a left wing nut. I guess it depends on how Dean presents himself.

[_NorCal_D_]

43. If we have that ticket,

we win in 2004.
:)

[sundancekid8786]

10. GO WES GO!

Wesley Clark is the only hope for this country and for the Democratic Party to move itself from irrelevance. We can recapture the South and the military vote, something we never had in who knows when.

[Rowdyboy]

33. Welcome Sundance!

Good to see another new Clark supporter. Need to develop a thick skin around here. Don't let a "furious few" who despise the general mislead you into thinking its a problem. The same 5-10 posters (out of thousands here) go from thread to thread rehashing old issues. Just ignore them-eventually they'll get bored and move on.

[Renew Deal]

35. Welcome

:hi::grouphug:

[newyawker99]

41. Hi sundancekid8786!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[wyldwolf]

3. Clark will dominate in the south...

[Renew Deal]

5. He is also leading

in Alabama, Arkansas, and I think Georgia.

[Kahuna]

23. Also doing very well in NY, NJ, PA, CA, WI, OK.

MI and IL.

Wes will win! Yeah baby!

[Renew Deal]

24. I have seen him...

leading in CA and WI. I have seen conflicting polls in NY. NJ primary is the last one.

[Kahuna]

34. I know that my state, Nj is a non-contender...

But, last NJ poll I saw had Clark leading. Bodes well for Clark in the general election. No? :7

btw,

:yourock:

[Renew Deal]

36. Yes

absolutly. Some consider NJ a swing state.

[_NorCal_D_]

44. Yes,

to my knowledge, Clark has a slight lead here in California.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

25. NYC loves Clark

I've seen him here twice and he gets an enthusiastic welcome every time. Keep hammering Bush on 911 and I'll volunteer for his campaign myself!

[59millionmorons]

39. Wait til Hillary and Bill take his hand

If they get in his corner, NY will be over for the rest of the candidates.

[59millionmorons]

37. To big of a deal

People are making to big of a deal about Iowa and NH. These states that he is doing well in, to me are worth more than Iowa and NH.

[59millionmorons]

4. Thats big

I guess those who have tried to write off Clark were wrong again. Put this together with the new Quinnipiac poll and Clark is going strong. Any ticket we have will need to have Clark or Edwards on it.

[quinnox]

6. As a fan of Edwards

I'm not too happy about this, although it is preliminary of course with 36% still undecided.

Still, good news for the Clark camp.

[ShaneGR]

9. Yeah, losing SC would be a deathblow to the Edwards camp

My prediction:

Gephardt wins Iowa

Dean wins New Hampshire (Kerry drops out)

Clark wins SC (Edwards and Lieberman drop out)


Super Tuesday becomes a three way horserace between Gephardt, Dean, and Clark.

[Renew Deal]

11. That sorta thing has happened before.

Tsongas in NH
Harking in Iowa
Tsongas in Maryland
Clinton in SC

[quinnox]

12. Possible

n/t

[Kahuna]

26. Clark is going to clean up on Super Tuesday.

Go Wes!

[_NorCal_D_]

45. That's a fair analysis.

I predict that Iowa will be a close race between Gephardt and Dean.

[elsiesummers]

48. Gephardt, Dean, Clark race:

Seems highly possible - but whether or when any of these candidates drop out is about money - so maybe Kerry will stay in after a loss in NH?

Can't see Edwards or Lieberman having enough money to keep going if Clark wins SC.

I'm an Edwards fan - not particularly pleased with the turn of events - though not begrudging Clark.

Anyone think Edwards could leave politics completely, if Dems lose the General Election (so no potential cabinet position)?

[StephNW4Clark]

22. Well, I hope Edwards can have either the Veep or ...

the Attorney General position. He's a great guy, and though I want Clark to kick ass in the South, I hope Edwards is able to become integrated somehow in the general election.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

28. Edwards for AG, Dean for VP

Dean's campaign is too big and too successful to ignore the ground troops. Clark/Dean will give us 8 years of Democratic government, then 8 years of Dean/Edwards.

[Renew Deal]

30. I am leaning this way too.

The Clark movement and Dean campaign are big, fun, and smart. The supporters of both camps generally want it. It could work.

[eleny]

8. That Undecided number is huge

People are taking their time. I wonder if So Carolina lets people vote in either primary, no matter what party they're registered with.

[HFishbine]

14. Also Curiously

some candidates saw their "awareness" precentage decline. How does that happen. Did some people used to be aware of Kerry, but now they are not?

[ShaneGR]

17. I think SC is semi-open

Meaning voters register with a party by voting in their primaries. For example, even if I'm a Republican I can show up and vote in the Democratic Party. The only drawback is being a registered Democrat.

We have the same system here in Ohio. It sucks.

[eleny]

27. Same here in Colorado

But you have to at least be a registered Dem or R. Independents can't vote in primaries. I'm a registered Dem but I voted for McCain in the R Primary back in 2000. I just couldn't stomach the idea of the shrub and all signs pointed to Gore getting the nod. Oh well, so much for scheming. McCain vs Gore debates would at least have been substantial, IMO.

[Renew Deal]

31. Isn't the CO primary cancelled?

I thought it was.

[paulk]

40. CO primary cancelled by Gov. Owens

to save money.

I mean, texas puke Owens already knows who the Republican candidate is going to be... and us Democrats? We can go piss up a rope...

[mmonk]

13. Take the south in the primaries,

split the south in the general election; Bush defeated.

[59millionmorons]

16. Split it hell

Just one state and he is finished.(hint Arkansas)

[ShaneGR]

18. Well, I think Louisiana and North Carolina are on the table too

Would Tennessee, West Virginia, and Kentucky be considered southern?

[Renew Deal]

19. Yes, maybe, Yes

[59millionmorons]

21. Well

I consider any state below my state PA, southern.

[_NorCal_D_]

47. Yes

not the deep South, but South nonetheless.

[Tyler Durden]

20. Deer caught in the headlights.

Whoever thinks it's a good idea for the Democrats to waste 6-8 MONTHS of Candidate Publicity split between 9 people never stood behind an member of the General Public in a Wendy's trying to remember how they like their hamburger.

[robsul82]

38. Hahahahaha...

...DU should seriously use that on a T-shirt, dude. Bravo!

Later.

RJS

[RummyTheDummy]

29. Wow, Dean's numbers in the south are impressive.....

Not! Dean is the perfect recipe for 49 state blow out.

[Kahuna]

32. Yep. Dean is still the candidate of preference for the..

repukes. They know how he's polling in the red states. They still love him.

[CMT]

42. Dean is tied for fouth

and has gone from 2% to 7%--ahead of Kerry with 4% and only a point behind Lieberman with 8% and three points behind second placer Edwards (in a neighboring state to NC)so where is it that he is doing so poorly? heck, he is only ten-points behind Clark in a very pro-military state. Hardly a blow-out. If Dean comes in third in SC that will be a pretty good showing against two southerners (Clark and Edwards).

[mrgorth]

46. DEAN/CLARK!!

CLARK/DEAN!!
A VOTE FOR US IS REALLY KEEN!!!
:silly: