McCain has edge in GOP, polls say
Published: Sun, Feb. 03, 2008 12:30AM
Modified Sun, Feb. 03, 2008 06:58AM
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closeRepublican John McCain leads in all four corners of the country heading into a rush of primaries Tuesday, while Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama were locked in a close struggle for delegates coast to coast, according to a new series of McClatchy-MSNBC polls.
With many Republican contests winner-take-all delegate bonanzas, the surveys suggest that McCain could emerge with a commanding lead for the Republican nomination.
The regional taste of the 22 Democratic contests suggests that Clinton and Obama will carve up the country, each emerging with a big block of delegates and the nomination far from clear.
ROMNEY WINS MAINE
Mitt Romney coasted to a win in presidential preference voting by Maine Republicans on Saturday, claiming his third victory in a caucus state and fourth overall. He had 52 percent of the vote with 68 percent of the towns holding caucuses reporting.
John McCain trailed with 21 percent, Ron Paul was third with 19 percent, and Mike Huckabee had 6 percent. Undecided votes accounted for 2 percent. The nonbinding votes are the first step to electing 18 Maine delegates to the Republican National Convention.
DEMOCRATIC RACES
ARIZONA
Clinton, 43 percent
Obama, 41 percent
undecided, 13 percent
CALIFORNIA
Clinton, 45 percent
Obama, 36 percent
undecided, 16 percent
GEORGIA
Obama, 47 percent
Clinton, 41 percent
undecided, 10 percent
MISSOURI
Clinton, 47 percent
Obama, 41 percent
undecided, 10 percent
NEW JERSEY
Clinton, 46 percent
Obama, 39 percent
undecided, 12 percent
ABOUT THE POLLS
The McClatchy-MSNBC polls of 400 likely Democratic and Republican primary voters each in California, Georgia, Missouri and New Jersey -- and 400 likely Democratic primary voters in Arizona -- was conducted by telephone Jan. 30-Feb. 1. The margin of error was plus or minus five percentage points.
REPUBLICAN RACES
CALIFORNIA
McCain, 40 percent
Romney, 31 percent
Huckabee, 13 percent
Ron Paul, 3 percent
undecided, 11 percent
GEORGIA
McCain, 33 percent
Romney, 27 percent
Huckabee, 18 percent
Paul, 4 percent
undecided, 17 percent
MISSOURI
McCain, 37 percent
Huckabee, 27 percent
Romney, 24 percent
Paul, 1 percent
undecided, 11 percent
NEW JERSEY
McCain, 46 percent
Romney, 31 percent
Huckabee, 5 percent
Paul, 4 percent
undecided, 12 percent
More Politics
And in each of these regional bellwether states, at least 10 percent of Democratic voters remained undecided.
"For the Republicans, McCain is clearly the front-runner. He's ahead in every state," said Brad Coker, the managing partner of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, which conducted the nine polls.
"For the Democrats, [Clinton's] ahead everywhere except Georgia. But the leads aren't so big that it's a slam-dunk."
Indeed, as primaries have shown throughout this volatile year, the actual vote can differ greatly from polls as voters change their minds or surge to the vote in numbers that overwhelm expectations.
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