Thread: Obama 52%, Clinton 37% for 2012 Democratic Nomination

Clinton's support highest among conservative, less well-educated Democrats

If Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were to challenge President Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2012, she would currently have the support of 37% of Democrats nationally, while 52% would support Obama.



NBC's "Meet the Press" host David Gregory on Sept. 5 raised the possibility that Clinton might renew her battle against Obama for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, asking outside White House adviser David Plouffe, "Do you envision a primary challenge from another Democrat in 2012 against this president?" Gregory then asked more specifically, "Do you -- can you rule out, based on actual information, that Secretary of State Clinton would not pursue the presidency again, would not challenge President Obama?"

Clinton was Obama's main challenger for the 2008 Democratic nomination in a long-fought and, at times, contentious battle. Once Obama clinched the nomination, Clinton and her husband Bill Clinton strongly supported Obama's nomination, and Hillary Clinton now serves in Obama's cabinet as secretary of state.

President Obama has yet to announce his intentions for 2012, although Harry Truman in 1952 and Lyndon Johnson in 1968 have been the only presidents since Calvin Coolidge to decline to seek re-election when they were eligible to do so.

Presidents with relatively low job approval ratings heading into a possible re-election bid are vulnerable to intra-party challenges. As two examples, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were challenged for their respective parties' nomination as sitting presidents -- Ford by Ronald Reagan, and Carter by Edward Kennedy and Jerry Brown. Ford's job approval rating had reached as low as 37% in 1975, the year before he ran for re-election, and Carter's had reached 28% in 1979. Obama's current weekly job approval rating is 44%, albeit with more than two years until the next presidential election.

Obama's strengths among Democrats in the hypothetical matchup with Clinton lie with college graduates and liberals, the latter of whom make up about 36% of this sample of 859 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Clinton does better among less well-educated Democrats and bests Obama among conservatives, who make up 22% of Democrats. Clinton does slightly better among women than among men.

read more at: Obama 52%, Clinton 37% for 2012 Democratic Nomination

While I, personally, don't want either of them to be President...my opinion is irrelevant because I'm not a Democrat.

But I'm curious where the Liberals/Democrats/Independents of this forum come down on this issue.

Anyone care to commit themselves?

Originally Posted by JoJoGunne

...my opinion is irrelevant

Totally agree.

Originally Posted by JoJoGunne

But I'm curious where the Liberals/Democrats/Independents of this forum come down on this issue.

Anyone care to commit themselves?

Simply a silly "Divide & Conquer" prayer aimed at the 2012 Presidential election.
1. Obama will be the Dem candidate
2. He will easily beat any Republican
3. You guys will again blame your loss on Acorn, Black Panthers & a liberal press...<yawn>

Originally Posted by JoJoGunne

While I, personally, don't want either of them to be President...my opinion is irrelevant because I'm not a Democrat.

But I'm curious where the Liberals/Democrats/Independents of this forum come down on this issue.

Anyone care to commit themselves?

Hillary will not challange Obama in 2012 so your poll is meaningless.

Speaking as someone that doesn't have a lot of love for the Dems or the GOP I can tell you that Obama will be President for 2 terms. Hillary will probably never be President.

After that I have no idea who the Dems will nominate. I also have no idea who the GOP will run against Obama in 2012, but it doesn't look good for the GOP.

Originally Posted by Winn

I also have no idea who the GOP will run against Obama in 2012.

It's a pretty obvious to me!



Bob Dole/Sarah Palin - in 2012!

If Obama decides to become a candidate for a second term he will be unchallenged within the party. The Democrats will not divide and fight during a primary season.

Gosh Jo do you ever get tired of this?

Originally Posted by Feetie

Gosh Jo do you ever get tired of this?

Maybe he read "The Little Engine that Could" too many times...?

Originally Posted by Seraphima

Maybe he read "The Little Engine that Could" too many times...?

You are being nice Sera in assuming he can read.

Originally Posted by Pragmatist

Hillary will not challange Obama in 2012 so your poll is meaningless.

Yes, this is true. To do that, she would have to start campaigning in about two months. To do THAT she would have to quit her post in Obama's administration. That's unlikely.