Poll Shows Clinton With Solid Lead Among Democrats

From The Washington Post:

By a wide margin, Democrats view Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) as the party's candidate best positioned to win the general election, and she holds a double-digit lead over Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) in the race for the nomination, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll.

Clinton is a polarizing figure, which has raised questions about whether she could win a general election. But Democrats appear to dismiss that argument. Asked which Democratic candidate has the best chance of winning the general election in November 2008, 54 percent said Clinton, more than twice the percentage saying Obama (22 percent). Nine percent think former senator John Edwards (N.C.) would be most likely to win. Among Democratic-leaning independents, 44 percent said Clinton, 25 percent Obama and 11 percent Edwards.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson registers at 3 percent in this national poll, but he has gained strength in Iowa and New Hampshire, according to recent public polls of those states.

If 2000 Democratic candidate Al Gore were in the race, 14 percent would support him. Clinton and Obama would remain atop the field, with Clinton leading by double digits.