Clinton-Obama lead McCain in swing states

[RunInRed 16,528]

(CNN)—In potential fall match-ups, Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are leading presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in states that were decisive in the 2004 election according to a new survey.

The latest Gallup Poll conducted during the first 15 days in April, consisting of more than 13,000 registered voters shows Obama and Clinton ahead by 4 points in so called “purple” or swing states with 47 percent to McCain’s 43 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1 point.

In “blue” states where John Kerry won by more than 6 percentage points in 2004, Obama has a comfortable double-digit lead, while McCain leads by a slightly smaller margin in the “red” states where George Bush prevailed by more than 6 points.

Clinton has the same lead over McCain in purple states, but she does not fare as well as Obama in the “blue” states and also trails McCain by a larger margin than Obama in the traditionally Republican “red” states.

The remaining purple swing states where Bush or Kerry won by 5 points or fewer in 2004 include: New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

[Auburn85 434]

An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they’re for – and “I need them to say who they’re for starting now.”

“We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time,” the Democratic National Committee Chairman told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “We’ve got to know who our nominee is.”

After facing criticism for a mostly hands-off leadership style during much of the primary season, Dean has been steadily raising the rhetorical pressure on superdelegates. He said Thursday that roughly 65 percent of them have made their preference plain, but that more than 300 have yet to make up their minds.

If the head of the dnc is going to be so impatient with the time it takes to hold primaries, why have so many of them? i mean, heck what's wrong with all 50 states having their voices heard along with Guam and Puerto Rico?

Both sides have had primaries go all the way to the convention. If I'm not mistaken, Clinton didn't clinch the 1992 Primary until late in the process.

[RunInRed 16,528]

An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they’re for – and “I need them to say who they’re for starting now.”

“We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time,” the Democratic National Committee Chairman told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “We’ve got to know who our nominee is.”

After facing criticism for a mostly hands-off leadership style during much of the primary season, Dean has been steadily raising the rhetorical pressure on superdelegates. He said Thursday that roughly 65 percent of them have made their preference plain, but that more than 300 have yet to make up their minds.

If the head of the dnc is going to be so impatient with the time it takes to hold primaries, why have so many of them? i mean, heck what's wrong with all 50 states having their voices heard along with Guam and Puerto Rico?

Both sides have had primaries go all the way to the convention. If I'm not mistaken, Clinton didn't clinch the 1992 Primary until late in the process.

Dean is just feeling the pressure from the party elders.

I have no problem with the drawn out process to some extent because it makes the candidates campaign in all states and allows us to really vett them but this is ridiculous. The schedule should be compressed so the whole thing is over by the end of March.