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 usually vote a single issue and I do not trust McCain is a rue conservative, I’ll probably sit this one out (first time ever) like Jim Browne above, but only because there is no true conservative on any of the tickets. I might try a write in vote, or can you still do that in the United States? (ha! ha!)
I could never vote for Obama, he says he stands for “change” What change is that? Barack Obama chose Jeremiah Wright as his pastor, his spiritual mentor and friend. Obama has kept the relationship intact for more than 20 years now. We learned last week that Barack Obama doesn’t have the courage to say that the hate and rage of Rev. Wright is wrong and has absolutely no place in America. And what about his wife Michelle not being proud of her country,and she should be First Lady with a statement like that, I don’t think so…There is no way they should ever get close to the White House.
That is wonderful news. Neither of the democratic canidates should be in the running for the President!!!
I really think we democrats have blown it, with the Flordia and Michigan mess, allowing Rush Limbaugh to affect the voting. We have two candidates and one who has proven not to be a true American and a racist. Either we stand behind Hillary or we just let the Republicans continues to financially destroy our country. We are in serious trouble. As a baby boomer, maybe a lot of you young people don’t care, but I have been working my whole life, a widow who raised to young children on her own. I really need to be able to rely on Social Security with the current financial status of this country, the loans against SS and the current deficit if we continue on in this war, out economy will continue to go down hill. This may not be important to alot of people; I was one who put money into a 401 and it has lost money because of the current market, as I started to see things fall, I locked it into a fixed rate but now it has loss so much money, I will have to continue to work for a very very long time to survive. I can not as an American vote for Barack Obama, he is anti-American and is anti-white, jewish and who knows what else. As so many of our young Americans think this man is a leader, it is frightening to me that we could have him in the White House and financially I am financially nervous about McCain but I do trust patriotism more than Obama.
I am a Clinton supporter but I will have to vote for McCain should Obama get the nomination. I have never voted Republican, guess there is a first time for everything. Between Obama’s minister and his cocaine use, I can’t vote for him.
Laura, come better than that. You know Obama didn’t say that so don’t start.
Now, you Dems know that you are passionate about a Dem president, so take a breather and calm down. Remember, Obama said that he and Hillary were friends before the elections and they will be friends after the election. So why are we getting so hung up on this. Take a rest and vote democratic in November no matter who the nominee is, but of course we all know who the nominee will be.
Just can’t have more of BUSH. Please!!
I was in favor of Obama, until he failed to distance himself and repudiate the Rev. Wright’s rancorous rantings and ravings. And I began to read the Audacity of Hope. He does not transcend the political divide with his sophistic rhetoric, no matter how good it sounds…Its just empty talk. I’m going for McCain.
No one in their RIGHT MIND could possibly vote for such liars as Obama and Hilary. You couldn’t pay me enough to vote them in to leading the free word!!!! I’m not a McCain supporter but I’m more inclinded to vote for him because of his party. Obama and Hilary are such phonies and liars!!!! I expect that the Republicans will hold McCain to his word and their standards!!!!
Iraq was a necessary EVIL. As a Veteran, and a intel….I totally understand and agree with most of the war on TERROR. The Dem’s will never understand that there is a time for war and a time for peace…..,..Right now……..is a time for war. IT is important to stand our ground and let the WORLD know that we will not EVER be defeated!!!! Let a Dem in office and we’re inviting them in to destroy us all!!!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!
Hey Roger, what have the dems done in congress, nothing they care more about barry bonds and roger clemens, and steroids in baseball all they do is investigate every thing.anone else that reads this my thinking is all dems dont know how 2 stand up for whats right, on iraq yeah bad intell but no more mass graves on more rape rooms, yeah aQ went in iraq i rather they fight it their than over here. 2 all liberials if u dont love this counrty than leave it and go move 2 russia.
I would never vote for Obama…don’t trust him. I would never vote for Clinton…don’t trust her either. McCain is the least of the three evils.
No one has mentioned this: If Obama came from such ‘meager beginnings’, how did he swing a Harvard Education? Who paid for it? I wish someone would answer that one. I think it would be very interesting to find out.