Gallup Poll: Many Democrats Ready to Vote McCain if Their First Choice Doesn’t Make It to November
Many Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama supporters are ready to spurn the Democratic party and vote for John McCain in November if their candidate doesn’t win the presidential nomination, according to a new poll out Wednesday.
And a second poll out Wednesday shows most voters — including 85 percent of Democrats — believe there’s a chance that the battle between Clinton and Obama will not be resolved before the August convention.
Among people who identified themselves as Hillary Clinton supporters, 28 percent said they would vote for McCain if Obama is his opponent, the March 7-22 Gallup Poll Daily election tracking survey found.
The same poll found that 19 percent of Obama supporters would switch sides and cast ballots for McCain if Clinton is the Democratic candidate.
The survey interviewed 6,657 Democratic voters nationwide and had a margin of error of 2 percent.
Click here to read the Gallup Poll discussion of the survey.
Gallup analysts note that the results could change by November, by which time Democrats will have made great efforts to unify the party.
Gallup analysts also noted that voters tend to threaten party desertion but don’t necessarily do so. A recent Gallup survey found that 11 percent of Republican voters said they would vote for a different party or not at all if McCain doesn’t pick a running mate who is more conservative than he is.
Historically, the party-switch factor has shown to be less dramatic, Gallup analysts said. Less than 10 percent of Republicans and Democrats crossed party lines in pre-election Gallup polls from 1992 to 2004.
In the second poll, Rasmussen Reports found that 87 percent of all voters — and 85 percent of Democrats — believe it is “somewhat likely” that both Clinton and Obama will remain in the race until the convention. Fifty-two percent of Democrats said it is “very likely” the nomination won’t be decided until the convention.
The Rasmussen poll (March 24-25, 800 likely voters, +/- 4 percentage points) also found that there’s equal dislike on either side of the Democratic race for the rival candidate: 22 percent of both Clinton and Obama supporters said they believe the other candidate should drop out of the race.
I will not only vote Republican if Obama wins the nomination, but I’ll change my party to Rebulican or Independent as well if Obama gets the nomination.
There’s no way possible that I would ever vote for Obama. Obama is just like his pastor Rev. Wright, a racist, a liar. The more that comes out on Obama the worst it gets. This is his 1st run for Sentor & everything we know about him is bad. Mc Cain has my vote…………
I agree with Rosie. I’m a Republican and if Hillary beats Obama I will probably vote for her. I don’t trust McCain or Obama.
“In order to understand Obama’s economic policies, you have to be a mystic,” said Baker, co-director for the Center for Economics and Policy Research. “There’s no beef.”
I can’t believe the unwarranted Obama mania. There is no reason for it, he is under qualified lacks integrity (look at all his shady dealings) and doesn’t even have an economic plan, which I believe is a big selling point for democrats! It’s all smoke and mirrors!
“In order to understand Obama’s economic policies, you have to be a mystic,” said Baker, co-director for the Center for Economics and Policy Research. “There’s no beef.”
Obama and his church are too left wing radical and that’s not what this country needs. Hillary has more common sense and will make an effort to work across the aisle. She already has shown that she can do that and when she came to the Senate she did not feel entitled and members of Congress respected her. Obama on the other hand was out for Obama
“majority Americans are narcisistic, self-serving and infantile”
AMEN. And it will be our downfall.
I think they should just stop with all these primaries and just pick the nominee that currently has the most votes. I know that Obama is in the lead, however, I am not a supporter of either candidate. I would just like for them to pick someone just so that they’ll stop talking about it in the news. It’s getting old.
I wouldn’t think of not voting. It usually means you get stuck with the one you like the least.
The numbers the polls don’t show, IHO, are the Republicans who crossed over and voted for Obama. Add them to disgruntled Democrats and you will surely get another Republican in the White House.
I suspect those same Republicans help fund Obama, as well.
We Democrats have been had.
Hillary Clinton will never get my vote. If Obama does not win the nomination I will vote for McCain.