“Obama received 29% of the 720 votes cast in the straw poll, narrowly beating out former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, and decisively knocking official front-runner Hillary Clinton into third place. Edwards took 26% of the vote and Clinton 17%.
The poll establishes Obama and Edwards as a two-man top tier among the liberal segment of the Democratic base, said pollster Stan Greenberg, because they were also the most popular second choices for the nomination.
“If you look at this, you see Obama’s [supporters’] second choice and Edwards [supporters’] second choice are each other — in this group, the two of them form the top tier.”
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Clinton’s speech, a litany of disputes with the Bush Administration and policy aims, drew a friendly reception, though perhaps not as rapturous as the reaction to her leading rivals. She was interrupted by loud boos when she blamed the Iraqi government for Iraq’s current woes.
The survey also asked attendees their second choices for president, which mirrored the first-choice findings: Obama led, followed by Edwards, and then Clinton.
The conference, and the straw poll, also demonstrated the activists’ hunger for a victory next November.
The two candidates farthest to the left, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, were warmly received, but received few votes in the straw poll — just 5% and 1%, respectively.
And when Ralph Nader, the giant of the 1970s left who may have cost the Democrats the White House in 2000, rose to introduce Gravel, he was met with boos.
Those results may indicate that a majority of the activists surveyed are looking for a choice other than Clinton.
One responder comment reads:
Obama was electrifying; Hillary was a big dud. No surprise there.
To read the entire article simply go to www.politico.com
Why doesn’t this surprise me? I heard much of Obama’s speech to the Take Back America conference. He was just fantastic (as always)! And why wouldn’t he be? He’s been against the war from the start. He has a practical yet strong health care plan that would actually cover everyone. He has a great plan to stop the coming climate catastrophe. He’s a progressive who can actually bring America together to get stuff done! : )
I think these folks must have watched the Obama Girl video before voting.