----Snip----
More than a half-dozen Democrats are running for president, but for the party faithful in Alabama, the field is narrowing to two, the results of a new Press-Register/University of South Alabama poll suggest.
About one-third of those surveyed last week said they would be most likely to back U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., in next year's primary election, while one-quarter are ready to support U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
Running a distant third with 12 percent was former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat who was the party's vice-presidential nominee in 2004. Several other hopefuls trailed with negligible support.
At this point, the two are running neck and neck among black Alabama voters, the poll results indicate. About 36 percent said they would support Obama, while 32 percent favored Clinton. The difference is within the poll's margin of error.
More surprising, perhaps, is the lackluster performance of Edwards, the only Southerner in the race. The son of a textile mill worker, he has geared his campaign toward such bread-and-butter issues as improved health care coverage.
Asked to name the factor that matters most in deciding to support a candidate, about one-third of those respondents cited "stands on specific issue," while almost as many cited character. Barely one in five named experience.
Considering Alabamians' pride in their religiosity, Nicholls found it surprising that character would take a back seat to positions on issues.
"Perhaps this can be accounted for by the lack of a candidate in the race who polarizes the electorate on moral issues," he said via e-mail. "Makes me wonder what those numbers would look like if it were Bill running instead of Hillary."
http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/117723336159290.xml&coll=3It's on to the races. :bounce: :patriot:
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