Poll: Many Can't Name Democratic Hopefuls
The Associated Press
Monday, September 1, 2003; 6:19 AM
There's no shortage of Democrats running for president but most voters don't know who they are, according to a new poll.
The poll, released for the Labor Day weekend which traditionally kicks off the campaign season, showed two-thirds of the people surveyed couldn't name one of the nine candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
When pollsters supplied the names, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean topped the field, although with relatively low numbers that suggest the race remains wide open.
Lieberman with 14 percent, Gephardt with 11 percent, and Dean with 10 percent were the only three in double digits in support among registered Democrats, said the poll.
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry was at 5 percent after being in double digits in national polls most of the year. Kerry will try to spark his campaign this week with the formal announcement of his candidacy.
Al Sharpton had 5 percent, Florida Sen. Bob Graham 4 percent, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards 2 percent, former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun 2 percent and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich registered zero percent in the survey calculation.
Four in 10 registered Democratic said they were satisfied with the current field of nine candidates, while half said they would like more choices.
When all potential voters were asked whether President Bush will definitely be re-elected, 38 percent said yes, but 50 percent said they think a Democrat can win. When voters were asked the same question about Bush's father in October 1991, 66 percent said yes, but that number dropped 20 points in the next month. The first President Bush lost to Bill Clinton.
The poll of 775 registered voters was taken Aug. 26-28 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, larger for subgroups like Democratic voters.
© 2003 The Associated Press
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