Controversial Poll Underscores Hillary Clinton 2008 Electability Debate

The Moderate Voice, a moderate-liberal blog, opines: "Political storm clouds for New York Senator Hillary Clinton? Two new polls are out and one underscores Senator Hillary Clinton’s 'electability problem' as increasingly raised by her Democratic foes and some other analysts. Clinton’s emerging strategy has rested on her a) inevitability b) access to the highly professional Clinton political machine c) transformation from a polarizing figure to a more nationally-accessible one d) status as the Democrat most likely to be elected in a year when, by most accounts, Democrats have a good chance to win the White House. But now two new polls don’t provide stellar news for Clinton — or the kind of increasing positive numbers that she needs to stem the current media (and blog) narrative which you could title A Campaign In Trouble (accurate or not). And one of them [a Zogby poll which shows Sen. Hillary Clinton trailing five top Republican presidential contenders in general election match-ups - a drop in support from summertime - while Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama beat the GOP in these match-ups] is such a shift that it could unleash a new slew of media stories since it could create the 'conventional wisdom' narrative heading into primaries..."

The commentary continues: "The key point here: even if the methodology is dismissed, it shows a poor TREND: in this poll at least, she is losing supporters — not a good omen some five weeks before the first official national contest in Iowa.....So is this poll strictly a fluke? Do other new polls show her positive numbers and effectively negate a poll that could be characterized as an easy-to-tinker-with online interactive poll? Not exactly. Another poll [by Gallup, showing Sen. Clinton with a slim lead over Rudy Giuliani, but beating other GOP canddates] shows darkening storm clouds that should be troubling for Clinton, pleasing to her foes, and a big headache for Democrats up for election in 2008 on other parts of the ticket although it doesn’t show a shirt-tail....Right now, given the political skill with which he has navigated through his iceberg row of negatives, it appears as if Giuliani will head the GOP ticket. Which means the Demmies would only go into the race with a 5 point lead in the Presidential sweepstakes if Clinton heads the ticket…and it’s 'statistically insignificant.' The GOOD NEWS: if Romney does get the nomination he’d be easier to beat than Giuliani (but some anti-Mormon sentiment could also be at play here and presumably the Romney campaign could confront that if need be)."