Kerry leading in Michigan, Dean, Edwards tied for second

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is leading his rivals in Michigan after winning the Iowa caucuses a week ago, a new poll shows.

The U.S. senator from Massachusetts was the favorite of 37 percent of the 400 likely Democratic caucus voters polled Tuesday through Sunday by Lansing-based EPIC/MRA. The poll comes less than two weeks before Michigan's Feb. 7 Democratic presidential caucuses.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who had led the field in an October EPIC/MRA poll, was at 14 percent along with U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas was named a top choice by 10 percent, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut by 5 percent, the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York by 3 percent and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio by 1 percent.

The margin of error was plus or minus 5 percentage points. Sixteen percent of those included in the poll released Monday said they remain undecided.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--poll-democrats0126jan26,0,473913.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

Clark 10
Dean 14
Edwards 14
Kerry 37

[jenk]

1. wow, I had no idea Kerry was so strong here

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. As it turns out, Iowa is important after all...

Perhaps Clark isn't the brilliant strategist some think he is.

[ajacobson]

4. Tacit support from Gov

plus lots of politicos in Lansing and Detroit now that Gep is out.

BTW Clark's #s went from 5% to 10% now that people are starting to pay attention.

on edit: typo, not writing the English goodly today

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. I'm not so sure about that. The governor's husband is backing Kerry.

Blanchard and Dan Mulhern, Gov. Jennifer Granholm's husband, sent a letter recently to 5,000 precinct delegates and Democratic party officers urging them to hold off voting until after they saw how Kerry did in the earlier contests.

"I think most people have wisely ... not cast their votes," Blanchard said. "You might end up voting for someone who drops out of the race or who you decide under careful scrutiny is not who you want."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/7749770.htm

Where did you hear of 'tacit support' for Edwards from Granholm?

[ajacobson]

8. ??

no comment on Edwards, was referring to Kerry. Didn't know about the letter...interesting

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. My bad, got confused...

[adadem]

3. I'm not surprised

The momentum here in Michigan for the Kerry campaign is great...phone-banking is extremely positive....we're blown away...so many volunteers, people stopping me to ask where they can get a bumper sticker or pin (I now carry them w/me along with a sign up sheet). To top it off this is a very conservative part of Michigan.

[isbister]

5. Good news

thought Clark would've looked better

[andym]

7. The power of winning a caucus.

The power of winning a caucus. If Kerry wins NH as expected these results will solidify. If he doesn't, then the winner may take his place.