You can expect a lot of buzz today around a new CNN poll headlined “Clinton gets high ‘no’ vote for 2008.” Half of those polled say they would definitely vote against Hillary for president. That would seem damning for her chances, except that the poll is an absurdity. It’s a poll of Americans, not registered voters or likely voters, and since turnout among adults reached its high-water mark in 2004 near 60 percent, at least 40 percent of those polled will almost certainly not cast any kind of ballot in 2008. Thus, the data are meaningless. And since very nearly 50 percent also say they won’t vote for John Kerry or Al Gore, what the poll really seems to register is just the disaffection of a lot of Americans for famous liberal Democratic pols. Maybe conservatives will take heart from that, but that’s only because the news has been so bad lately for the Right. It really was only 20 months ago that George W. Bush got 62 million votes.
The poll also says that only 30-35 percent of respondents would definitely vote against Rudy Giuliani or John McCain. That’s probably because they’re not quite as well-known as the other big names polled.