Poll: More than half of Clinton backers still not sold on Obama
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
DENVER — Fewer than half of Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters in the presidential primaries say they definitely will vote for Barack Obama in November, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, evidence of a formidable challenge facing Democrats as their national convention opens here today.
In the survey, taken Thursday through Saturday, 47% of Clinton supporters say they are solidly behind Obama, and 23% say they support him but may change their minds before the election.
Thirty percent say they will vote for Republican John McCain, someone else or no one at all.
The findings spotlight the stakes for Clinton when she addresses the convention Tuesday and when her name is placed in nomination.
"I know a lot of hardened Clinton delegates who are going to be OK, they're going to wind up supporting Sen. Obama," Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Clinton supporter, told USA TODAY. "But they want to cast their votes for her. … I think that'll make it easier for there to be closure."
The presidential race remains close and fluid.
Obama holds a 47%-43% edge over McCain among registered voters and a 48%-45% edge among likely voters. Both leads are within the margin of error of +/—4 percentage points.
In the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll a month ago, Obama led McCain by 3 percentage points, but McCain held a 4-point lead among likely voters.
Most of the telephone survey of 1,023 adults was taken before Obama announced Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate Saturday.
Among the findings:
• Obama has not eased concerns about his depth of experience: 57% worry he lacks the experience to be an effective president, and 44% question whether he could handle the responsibilities of commander in chief. He is preferred by double digits over McCain on handling the economy, but a GOP drumbeat on taxes seems to be working: A majority of those surveyed predict Obama will raise their federal income taxes if elected.
• McCain is credited as a strong and decisive leader, but he has lost ground since earlier this year on handling the economy, the electorate's top issue. A majority say his policies as president would mostly benefit the wealthy. Four in 10 worry McCain is too old to be president — he'll turn 72 on Friday — and 66% say they're concerned he'll pursue President Bush's course. That includes 64% of independents and 35% of Republicans.
McCain also gets more blame for the campaign's negative tone. Nearly half of respondents, 48%, say McCain has attacked Obama unfairly, compared with 30% who say Obama has unfairly attacked McCain.
The electorate remains deeply pessimistic. Eight in 10 say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the USA, and even more rate the economy as "only fair" or poor. Seven in 10 say it's getting worse.
Poll: More than half of Clinton backers still not sold on Obama - USATODAY.com
Poll: More than half of Hillary Clinton backers still not sold on Barack Obama
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