Star-13 poll shows tight race in Democratic primary (41-38% with 21% undecided)

[IndianaGreen]

It is the large number of undecideds that I am worried about.

Star-13 poll shows tight race in Democratic primary

Updated: April 24, 2008 11:01 PM EDT

Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - The two Democratic candidates for president are spending a lot of time and money in Indiana, and now Eyewitness News has exclusive new information about just how close that race really is.

For 40 years Indiana Democrats have only dreamed of playing an important role in the presidential primaries. In 2008 that dream has became a reality.

If the election were held today, 41% of those polled in the WTHR-Indianapolis Star Poll would vote for Sen. Barack Obama, with 38% for Sen Hillary Clinton with a high percentage of 21% undecided.

"Wow! That is a large unsure, which is good. As you know in all these primaries and caucuses the undecided break for Hillary," said Terry McAuliffe, Clinton campaign.

"We intend to do well here. We will campaign really hard here. We are going to do everything we can in this state," said Kevin Griffis, Obama spokesman.

http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=8224876

[MadBadger]

1. That matches the recent trend

Obama is up 1 in the Research 2000 poll and up 5 in the other two most recent polls.

[RBInMaine]

2. Gonna be a close one and tough to poll because its an open primary. If Hillary wins, by 5 or less.

[IndianaGreen]

3. I don't expect much of a Republican crossover

There are several competitive races in the Republican primary, with property taxes being a burning issue that has put even incumbent Republicans in trouble within their own party. Republicans will vote in their primary.

[Cali_Democrat]

4. I have a great feeling that Obama will win Indiana

[TahitiNut]

5. I suspect that "undecided" includes some closet bigots

It's been my (unfortuante) experience, however, that bigotry and sexism most often go hand-in-hand.

[IndianaGreen]

8. We got more than our share, but far less than in "older" Pennsylvania

Lots of progressives and sensible moderates in Indiana. We have been turning blue over time.

Most elected officials, unlike that empty suit Evan Bayh, fear that having Hillary at the top of the ticket will hurt their reelection chances in the Fall.

[TahitiNut]

14. I agree that Hillary has no coat tails.

Obama would be far better, imho.

[SoCalDem]

11. Southern Indiana is LOADED with them

and some are not all that closeted..

[TahitiNut]

17. The 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th CDs are about as right wing as they get.

Especially the 5th ... Dan Burton's district. (Gawd he's repulsive!)



I think Obama's strength would be in the 1st, 7th, and 8th CDs, in that order.

[SoCalDem]

18. In 1977, I was at the Indianapolis airport

and was kicking my suitcase along in line (no wheelie things back then).. a lady behind me..very ordinary-looking said "Honey..have the boy get you a cart"..:puke:.. then she started waving her arms for a skycap to come and help me..

[TahitiNut]

29. They DID love their lawn jockeys back in those days. Yes they did.

A good part of my post-Vietnam "head-clearing" motorcycle trip was through Indiana in 1970 ... and it's AMAZING what one can learn from the back of a bike - or during the frequent stops (it was a 350cc Honda) to smell the flowers.

[IndianaGreen]

34. Ahhhh, a Honda 350

I love those old bikes! Easy to maintain, relatively light weight. The smallest Honda I saw after that was the 400cc.

Remember when Suzukis were referred to as the popcorn machine because of the sound they made?

I sense a spiritual kinship here!

[TahitiNut]

36. That tinny sound of Suzukis ... yup. My last bike was a 550cc Honda - nice ride.

I never wanted a bike I couldn't easily dead-lift - or wrestle onto a trailer single-handedly. At the same time, I had no interest in Interstate-driving. I like 2-lane asphalt back roads, preferably with curves (and no sand or gravel). On my "head-clearing" trip I went across Canada north of Lake Superior on the Trans-Canada Highway. I'd occasionally take off into the woods, heading north on hard pack dirt roads. I'd go until I didn't see any litter for a while and then stop. Then I listened. Meditated. Spied on the critters. Relaxed. That's what I like to do with a bike. The Honda 350 fit the bill perfectly.

[IndianaGreen]

37. My last bike was a Yamaha 650, which was almost too much for me to handle.

My favorite one was an old Kawasaki 250 in which I traveled all over Indiana. Like you, I detested highway driving, preferring instead the 2-lane state roads. I loved touring the many scenic places we got in Southern Indiana. I always had a dirt bike of some kind, and when I was really poor years ago, my 125 Susuki was the only way I could go to work (even in the winter time--I had a snowmobile suit and heavy gloves).

Ahh, those were the days of cheap gas and cheap living. Long gone now!

I agree with you, the Honda 350 fit the bill perfectly. By the time I started riding, Honda quit making them, and they were already considered a collector's item.

[TahitiNut]

40. Here's the only photo I've got from that trip in 1970. It's taken north of Superior.

(The camera's on the seat of the bike - time release.) Folks who know me can tell I'm "getting my head straight" just from the look of me. For me, it's eerie - I can recall how much I NEEDED the trip and how battered I was mentally/emotionally. (No leathers. Death wish, I guess.)

[quantass]

13. At least we now know that if one is a Bigot & Sexist they're accepting of Gender over Race.

I agree that undecideds tend to include bigots and sexists.
You know, I always wondered what the American "undecided" people would choose if it came down to a woman or a black man...now i know.

Thank goodness it is an open primary -- indepedents can vote which tend to break Obama's way because they are highly educated.

[IndianaGreen]

15. If Hillary were Black, they would stay home

They are mostly Baby Boomers and older.

Younger generation (under 49) are a lot better than the older narcissistic and self-absorbed boomers.

[SoxFan]

6. McAuliffe is a bozo

"As you know in all these primaries and caucuses the undecided break for Hillary"

Alaska
Alabama
Colorado
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Democrats Abroad
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Iowa
Idaho
Kansas
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
Missouri
Mississippi
North Dakota
Nebraska
South Carolina
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Virgin Islands
Washington
Wyoming
Wisconsin

[bluestateguy]

7. You're our point person for Indiana

Why haven't the Indiana 3, or Peter Visclosky endorsed yet?

[IndianaGreen]

12. Tough reelection campaigns

Same with Baron Hill in Southern Indiana. He will be facing the same idiot he defeated 2 years ago, a man that believes that T-Rex was aboard Noah's Ark.

[SunsetDreams]

16. Indiana Green? Did you see this?

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/23/why_endorse_bayh_asks_hoosier.html

It appears that Bayh is pressuring them not to endorse Obama, but to wait until the vote happens. He says their districts will go Clinton anyway. (huh?, how does he know?)

Why is it then okay for Bayh to endorse ahead of the primary?

[IndianaGreen]

19. Hillary has promised the VP spot to a lot of people

That idiot Bayh thinks that he is the only that was offered the second spot on the ticket. He bet on the wrong horse!

[SunsetDreams]

22. Is any of this being reported there?

These people have the right to endorse Obama if they want to. Is he afraid that if they do, they will help garner votes and be his competition?

[IndianaGreen]

23. Everyone knows Bayh's angle in this

The Democratic State Chair, a Clinton supporter, openly said early this year that the reason Bayh is for Hillary is because he wants to be VP.

[SunsetDreams]

28. this ambition is crazy...

I guess Bayh picked the wrong ship to sail with.

[IndianaGreen]

32. How is Bayh's ambition any crazier than Hillary's

who will go to any extreme to damage Obama so that she gets another bite of the apple in 4 years.

[SunsetDreams]

39. You're right,

I didn't mean to imply that he was the only one who's ambition was crazy, I should have added Hillary to that.

Her ambition is much crazier than that, and to think she claims she is ready to lead on day one.

[kevinbgoode]

9. But she needs 70%

"Wow! That is a large unsure, which is good. As you know in all these primaries and caucuses the undecided break for Hillary," said Terry McAuliffe, Clinton campaign.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Huh?

[malik flavors]

10. I really hope he can pull this off.

[MadBadger]

20. Good Polling firm. This is the Selzer Co. which did the Des Moines Register Poll.

[Skip Intro]

21. Hillary will blowout Obama in IN. Haven't written off NC either.

just sayin...

[IndianaGreen]

26. Hillary won't blowout Obama in Indiana, only in Hillaryis44 fantasies!

It will be competitive!

[wisteria]

27. LOL. She has already lost. n/t

[TahitiNut]

30. Smokin' that Hillajuana again?

:rofl:

[wisteria]

24. Undecided because the media has left people with the idea that Clinton is still in the race.

And, with her teaming up with the Republican's to go after Obama what can you expect? We need to reach these people with the truth.

[tishaLA]

25. How much pull does Evan Bayh have in IN?

and I mean really, not just because we hate him? Can his status in the state amount to a few percentages of Hillary votes? More? Less?

[IndianaGreen]

31. He is viewed as an empty suit and sort of an elitist, case in point

At the 2003 JJ Dinner, in which a largely unkown former governor from Vermont was the main speaker, all the attendees were rubbing elbows with one another and having a great time meeting and greeting Democratic office holders. Bayh was AWOL. We spotted Bayh downstairs at a bar, sitting by himself having a drink.

Bayh was a decent governor (many of my fellow Hoosier DUers disagree with me on this) but he became a Kool-Aid drinking DLCer went he got to the Senate. The only reason Bayh, and many other Democrats win (for example in my Congressional district), is because the Republicans always manage to nominate someone that often frightens the moderates.

[merciful]

33. Poll conducted mostly before Americans knew about the PA results

Only the last day in the poll was conducted once Americans knew of the results.

[IndianaGreen]

35. Hoosiers are very contrarians

Don't tell them what Ohio and Pennsylvania have done, they will take exception to it, particularly Ohio (and Ohio State U.)

[AtomicKitten]

38. 21% undecided? That is mind-boggling.

[anigbrowl]

41. Is it me or is McAuliffe turning into Bagdhad Bob?

Not that Hillary Clinton doesn't have a chance to do well in Iowa. I just find McAuliffe personally seems to come across as a clown lately.