Clinton surges ahead of Obama in N.H.

[William769]

CONCORD – Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton has surged back into a double-digit lead over rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama according to a CNN/WMUR poll released Wednesday.

The New York senator now leads Obama, 38 to 26 percent. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is in the third spot with 14 percent

"Nearly all of Clinton's gains come among older voters. She also is ranked higher than Obama on every issue tested, with health care and the economy her strongest suits," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said on company's Web site. All the other Democratic candidates were in single digits.

A week ago, the same University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll had the race as a dead heat with Clinton at 31 percent and Obama with 30 percent.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/NEWS02/870594187

[SoxFan]

1. I don't trust this pollster (Andy Smith)

This is the same pollster who failed to predict Carol Shea-Porter's upset victory in the 2006 Democratic 1st CD primary.

Why?

Because he refused to include her name in the poll. He was told by the Shaheen's that she wasn't a serious candidate.

The "unserious" candidate beat the Shaheen's annointed pick by a 2 to 1 margin.

Andy Smith is too close to the Shaheens and the people from that circle to be viewed as a truly legitimate pollster.

[BigDDem]

2. If you don't like the results

the pollster isn't legitimate; that sounds about right.

[SoxFan]

5. No, he has a history of sketchy activity

He also took a fat payment from an anti-smoking group, came up with a poll that showed a smoking ban earning some absurd level of support, then allowing the results to be touted as a "University of New Hampshire study", undercutting his own employer's academic integrity.

He did the same thing with the NH Freedom to Marry Coalition. Took the dough, came up with lopsided results, and portrayed it as an unbiased academic study.

[BigDDem]

6. What polls should we trust?

[SoxFan]

7. Take all of them with a grain of salt

Presidents Dean, Mondale, and Dewey would all agree.

[GalleryGod]

3. Andy ain't exactly Pat Caddell

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. Is this the same poster who reported a dead heat the week before?

Coming when it came, before the Des Moines Register endorsement, that poll showing Obama wiping out Clinton's lead in NH was the worst news the Clinton camp could have asked for. If it simply was a rigged poll the numbers from a week earlier never would have seen the light of day.