Report: Clinton battles 'negative' feelings

[GaryC 7]

BY GLENN THRUSH | glenn.thrush@newsday.com

9:05 PM EDT, August 23, 2007

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a political powerhouse in her own party but Rudy Giuliani is far more palatable to voters across the board, according to one of the largest voter surveys done on the 2008 field.

Clinton bridles at the notion that she's a polarizing candidate, but the poll of 3,000 registered voters by the Pew Research Center released Thursday did little to counter that perception.

A whopping 88 percent of Democrats have a favorable impression of the former first lady -- and nearly four in 10 Democrats have a very favorable impression of her, by far the highest rate for any candidate.

But 81 percent of Republicans don't like Clinton -- with only 19 percent expressing approval.

By contrast, Giuliani fares relatively well with Democrats, earning a 47 favorable rating.

While 84 percent of GOP voters like him, party stalwarts are still skeptical, with only 21 percent of Republicans saying they strongly support him.

Clinton is tied with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with the highest negative rating at 45 percent. Giuliani's disapproval number is up to 35 percent.

Carroll Doherty, the poll's associate director, says Republican primary voters are generally positive about Giuliani but not bowled over.

"There's an intensity gap in their support," Doherty said. "It's not news that Hillary is such a polarizing figure, but it's surprising that Democrats are so enthusiastic about her. ... With Rudy, voters are generally positive but the intensity's not there. It's quite a gap."

Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards both do better than Clinton on overall favorability, at 64 and 61 percent, respectively, but lack the support she garners among party stalwarts.

Edwards opened a fresh attack on Clinton yesterday, urging New Hampshire voters to reject "nostalgia" for Bill Clinton's presidency.

"We have got to chart a new course," he told a crowd in Hanover. "Those wedded to the policies of the '70s, '80s, or '90s are wedded to the past -- ideas and policies that are tired, shop-worn and obsolete. ... The problem with nostalgia is what we tend to do is, you only remember what you liked and forget the parts that you didn't like."

Clinton, also visiting New Hampshire, laid out a plan to create a medical quality oversight board. She has yet to release a comprehensive health care plan with a price tag as Edwards has.

Obama, who trails Clinton in national polls by 15 to 20 percent, has been targeting the New York senator more directly in recent days.

"This last question I will prompt myself, and that's, 'Why you instead of Hillary?'" Obama said during a house party in New Hampshire, according to The Associated Press. "That's in the back of minds of a lot of people."

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[SteveLaura 0]

If we keep getting these threads every few days about how badly Hillary/Rudy is doing, I may be forced to log off and do some work.