Barack Obama Beats Clinton, Giuliani in New Poll

Nice to see this poll, which also underscores a real danger: Obama is a far better candidate to win the general election, I think, but could lose the nomination because the Clinton machine controls the Democratic Party. To understand how important these machines are, ask Cory Booker, who took a 6-point lead into the polls in his first bid to unseat Sharpe James, yet lost by 6 points. I was on the ground that day and the machine delivered the election to James (mostly fairly, I think)...

Barack Obama Beats Hillary Clinton, Giuliani in New Poll

http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15101

President Barack Obama? It’s no longer just a Democratic fantasy. Barack Obama may be young and black, but Americans prefer him to Hillary Clinton and even Rudy Guilliani and John McQuain if the general election were held today - that startling conclusion was made by a new Zogby telephone poll conducted from May 17th to May 20th.

In a contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, respondents picked Obama 48 to 43. Between Barack Obama and Rudy Guilliani, respondents picked Obama 48 to 42. Barack Obama would similiarly defeat Arizona Republican John McCain 46 to 43.

The margin of error on the poll is said to be 5% but clearly the young Senator from Illinois is the real deal even among non-Democratics. Interestingly enough, Hillary Clinton even loses to Rudy Guilliani in a general election match-up, 43 to Guilliani’s 48. While early, the poll indicates that Hillary Clinton has a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to the general election. The poll seems to answer the water cooler question, which pioneering candidate is America most willing to award the Presidency to - a white woman or a black man? Although this poll essentially suggests its a horse race between the top 4 candidates, it seems that being the white woman in the room may prove to be the greatest obstacle yet to getting in the White House.