EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE:  Friday 6:00 p.m. October 21, 2005

All references must be sourced WNBC/Marist Poll

 

Contact:           Dr. Lee M. Miringoff

Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho

Marist College

845.575.5050

 

National Poll:  Campaign 2008

Is America Ready for a Woman President?

 

This WNBC/Marist Poll reports:

A woman as president…it depends who you ask

·        Voters divide over whether they would support a woman nominated by one of the two major political parties for president.  26% of registered voters say they are likely to support a woman for president regardless of whether she is a Democrat or a Republican.  At the other extreme, 28% would not support a woman for the United States’ top job regardless of which political party nominated her.  25% would support a woman if she became the Democratic nominee for president, and 21% would support her if she were the Republican nominee. 

 

Question Wording:  If the Democratic/Republican Party nominates a woman for president in 2008, are you very likely, likely, not very likely, or not likely at all to vote for her?

 

 

 

 

Registered Voters

Very Likely or Likely if Democrat or Republican

 

Very Likely or Likely Only if Democrat

 

Very Likely or Likely Only if Republican

Not Likely Regardless if Democrat or Republican

October 2005

26%

25%

21%

28%

 

·        Not surprisingly, women are more likely to pull the lever for a female presidential candidate than men.  31% of women would support a woman for president regardless of whether she is a Democrat or a Republican.  33% of men would not support a woman for the country’s highest office no matter which party nominated her.  But age matters.  41% of women younger than forty-five years old would support a female presidential candidate regardless of the party who nominated her compared with 28% of their forty-five and older counterparts.  Only 26% of men younger than forty-five years old would not vote for a woman president regardless of her political party compared with 36% of men who are forty-five years of age or older.

 

 

 

 

Registered Voters

Very Likely or Likely if Democrat or Republican

 

Very Likely or Likely Only if Democrat

 

Very Likely or Likely Only if Republican

Not Likely Regardless if Democrat or Republican

Men

19%

25%

23%

33%

Women

31%

26%

20%

23%

Democrat

27%

50%

  2%

21%

Republican

19%

  1%

51%

29%

Independent

30%

20%

17%

33%

Under 45

34%

25%

20%

21%

  Men

24%

28%

22%

26%

  Women

41%

24%

19%

16%

45 or older

22%

26%

21%

31%

  Men

16%

24%

24%

36%

  Women

28%

27%

19%

26%

 

And, which Democratic woman might they be thinking of…

·        New York Senator Hillary Clinton has a commanding lead over the field of potential Democratic candidates nationwide for the party’s 2008 presidential nomination.  Clinton receives 41% among registered Democrats and Democratic leaning independents.  Senator John Kerry with 17% and former Senator John Edwards with 14%, follow.  Senator Joe Biden, retired General Wesley Clark, Senator Evan Bayh, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, and Virginia Governor Mark Warner trail with single digit support.  16% of Democrats are undecided.

 

Question Wording: If the 2008 Democratic presidential primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

Democrats

October 2005

May 2005

February 2005

 Hillary Clinton

41%

40%

39%

 John Kerry

17%

18%

21%

 John Edwards

14%

16%

15%

 Joe Biden

  5%

  7%

  5%

 Wesley Clark

  3%

  4%

  4%

 Evan Bayh

  2%

<1%

  1%

 Tom Vilsack

  1%

<1%

<1%

 Mark Warner

  1%

<1%

  1%

 Other

n.a.

  3%

  4%

 Undecided

16%

12%

10%

 

·                 Hillary Clinton’s presidential prospects divide the national electorate right down the middle.  48% of registered voters want to see her run for president in 2008 including 74% of Democrats.   49% of registered voters do not want to see Hillary Clinton enter the presidential sweepstakes including 79% of Republicans.   Independent voters evenly divide.  49% want to see her run, and 49% do not.  Voters forty-five years of age or older are not as encouraging of a run for the White House by Hillary Clinton than are younger voters.

 

Question Wording: Do you want Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2008 or not?

 

Registered Voters

Yes, Run

No, Don’t Run

Unsure

October 2005

48%

49%

  3%

May 2005

49%

48%

  3%

February 2005

46%

49%

  5%

December 2004

38%

50%

12%

 

October 2005

Yes, Run

No, Don’t Run

Unsure

 Democrat

74%

23%

  3%

 Republican

17%

79%

  4%

 Independent

49%

49%

  2%

 Men

45%

52%

  3%

 Women

51%

46%

  3%

 Under 45

59%

40%

  1%

 45 and older

44%

52%

  4%

 

·                 Although 46% of registered voters think Senator Clinton is about right on the ideological spectrum, 39% say she is too liberal.  These two views of Hillary Clinton are colored by partisan lenses.  78% of Democrats think she is ideologically well positioned.  74% of Republicans characterize her as too liberal.  Independent voters divide.  38% of these voters think she is too liberal, and 41% believe her views are about right.

 

Question Wording: Do you think Hillary Clinton is too liberal, too conservative, or about right?

 

Registered Voters

Too Liberal

Too Conservative

About Right

Unsure

October 2005

39%

  6%

46%

  9%

 Democrat

12%

  6%

78%

  4%

 Republican

74%

  5%

13%

  8%

 Independent

38%

  7%

41%

14%

 

And, which Republican woman might they be thinking of…

·        Although she has said she is not interested, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a top contender for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.  Rice receives 21% among registered Republicans and Republican leaning independents along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.  Senator John McCain follows with 19%.  Florida Governor Jeb Bush, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senator George Allen, Senator Sam Brownback, Senator Bill Frist, New York Governor George Pataki, Senator Chuck Hagel, Congressman Tom Tancredo, and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney trail with single digit support.  17% of Republicans are undecided.

 

Question Wording: If the 2008 Republican presidential primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

Republicans

October 2005

Condoleezza Rice

21%

Rudy Giuliani

21%

John McCain

19%

Jeb Bush

  5%

Newt Gingrich

  5%

George Allen

  4%

Sam Brownback

  2%

Bill Frist