There are number of recent polls suggesting that the race may be turning back towards Clinton in New Hampshire. The evidence is consistent and has important implications, particularly for Edwards (whom I support). Let's start by looking at the changes in four recent polls in New Hampshire (I am a strong believer that comparing polls over time from the same pollster is the best way to get a sense of the direction of a race).
| Pollster | Period compared | Clinton | Obama | Edwards | Richardson |
| American Research Group | Dec 12-16 vs Nov 26-29 | 4 | 1 | -2 | -4 |
| Rassmussen | Dec 18 vs Dec 11 | 3 | -3 | -1 | 0 |
| UNH (CNN) | 12/13-17 vs 12/6-10 | 7 | -4 | -2 | 1 |
| Fox News | 12/11-13 vs 11/27-29 | 4 | 2 | -2 | -6 |
| Period | Clinton | Obama | Edwards | Richardson | Lead |
| Dec 11 - 18 | 35.25 | 25.75 | 15.5 | 6.75 | 9.5 |
| Dec 1 - 11 | 30.8 | 27.8 | 15.3 | 6.8 | 3.0 |
| 11/27 - 12/1 | 33.8 | 25.5 | 16.8 | 9.8 | 8.3 |
| 11/1 - 11/27 | 36.3 | 22.3 | 13.5 | 8.7 | 14.0 |
| October | 41.0 | 21.8 | 12.5 | 6.5 | 19.2 |
It is interesting to note that the direction in Iowa is less clear. The ARG poll in Iowa found a 5 point shift to Clinton (from down 2 to up 3) and but is a little suspicious in that it shows Edwards at only 18 (no one has found him that low). In contrast, the Rassmussen poll this morning showed Clinton picking up only a point (from up 3 to up 4). While the averages look better for Clinton, this is in part attributable to the mix of pollsters. A CNN poll shows Clinton up 2 this morning, but has no prior benchmark. However, these polls do refute the idea that Clinton is somehow collapsing in Iowa.
As I have written before about New Hampshire, I am firm believer in the 30-35-40 rule for front runners. A front runner close to 30 is in serious trouble. A front runner at 40 in New Hampshire is a likely winner. With Clinton bouncing from 30 to 35, her numbers look signifcantly better to me. While Clinton's lead is too small to likely survive and Obama win in Iowa, her lead may be big enough to withstand an Edwards win. (though in the end I doubt it)
In any event the numbers show significant volatility - and a race still pretty open.
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