Yesterday we ran this post about a poll indicating Democrats wanted the primary battle between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to continue — and now a second poll has come up with the same finding, and almost the same numbers:
On the eve of the West Virginia primary, most Democrats nationally say Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton should continue the campaign, but more now say that it’s time for Clinton to quit.
In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 55% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents also would like Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to choose Clinton as his running mate, although there’s notable resistance among his backers.
The poll, taken Thursday through Sunday, shows Democrats grappling with the next stage of a hard-fought primary season. Clinton leads decisively in West Virginia polls but lags Obama in pledged delegates. He’s also erased her edge among the party leaders known as superdelegates.
Now, 35% of Democrats surveyed by USA TODAY say the New York senator should drop out, a jump of 12 percentage points in a week, while 55% say both should stay in.
However, this poll found less harmony in the question as to whether Clinton should be asked to be Obama’s nominee:
There was also a contrast on the issue of the vice presidency if Obama becomes the nominee.
Three of four Clinton supporters would like to see her on Obama’s ticket. But 52% of Obama supporters would rather he “choose someone else.”
Several report suggest Clinton does want the number two spot, if she can’t head the ticket. So this could be the next bruising p.r. and behind-the-scenes battle if Clinton drops out in the next few weeks, as many believe.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.