Biden, Warren, Harris and Sanders top 2020 field -- CBS News Battleground Tracker poll

[bluewater]

Joe Biden continues to be the first choice among Democratic voters across the 2020 primary states holding contests through Super Tuesday. However, rivals Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris are gaining on him and have seen increases in the number of voters at least considering them, suggesting they could have more room to gain going forward.

If we consider a 15% threshold as the minimum support needed to win convention delegates, then across the early states, four candidates would meet that benchmark: Biden, Warren, Harris and Bernie Sanders.

The contest is tighter now among estimated delegates across early states, the true measure of the contest — delegates to the convention. By this measure, Warren is much closer to Biden due to stronger showings especially in very liberal areas.

But there may be a trade-off here, since Biden faces something of a passion gap when compared with other candidates who trail him. A majority of Democrats (56%) feel Warren will fight "a great deal" for people like them, and 54% believe this of Sanders, while a smaller percentage — 38% — describe Biden this way.

Respondents were given a list of candidate descriptions, and when asked to choose which candidate seemed the most "passionate," Warren and Sanders tested highest on this measure (28% each), followed by Harris (23%). Fewer Democratic voters put Biden at the top of the pack on this characteristic (14%).

Warren is seen as the most "specific" of the top-tier candidates by a wide margin (42%) over the others. Related to that specificity, Warren also outpaces the field with voters who see her as most "prepared" in the campaign so far. (Those who see her as most specific also feel she is most prepared.)

Harris, more than the others, is perceived as "strong" (32%), with Warren and Biden trailing her on this characteristic.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-battleground-tracker-poll-top-tier-emerges-in-2020-field-biden-warren-harris-and-sanders/

[BeyondGeography]

1. Rec'd for the passion gap