Hotline On Call looks at data from a new ABC/WaPo survey and reports, “The poll finds that the percentage of those surveyed who would definitely not support Sen. John McCain has nearly doubled and is nearly a majority — 47%. He’s become as polarizing as Hillary Clinton, at least to partisans. But only 41% of independents say they would definitely not support him.”
While that’s significant, it buries the lede:
Among independents — Definitely would NOT support
Romney: 53%
Clinton: 51
McCain: 41
Edwards: 39
Giuliani: 35
Obama: 29
A majority of independents surveyed say they will “definitely not” vote for Romney or Clinton. Given that the election will be decided by both base turnout and the swaying of independents, that’s huge. McCain and others are quite viable.
One major caveat is needed: The survey is of “adults,” not “likely voters.” It may well be that some substantial percentage of these “independents” are actually apathetics and that the “independents” who will actually vote are much different from the broader group.
