Polls: Liberal, Well-Educated Back Dean

[Freddie Stubbs]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Howard Dean has built a strong core of support in the Democratic presidential contest among liberal, well-educated voters in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire - effectively dominating the voter group that also makes up a large share of John Kerry's supporters, polls suggest.

Dean has a solid lead over Kerry in New Hampshire - ranging from 14 points in a Pew Research Center poll out Monday to 25 points in a new poll from Franklin Pierce College.

Dean has a slight lead in Iowa, with the backing of 29 percent to 21 percent for Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt and 18 percent for Kerry, according to Pew.

In South Carolina, several candidates are competing for the lead, with North Carolina Sen. John Edwards slightly ahead at 16 percent, followed by retired Gen. Wesley Clark at 11 percent and Gephardt at 10 percent.

more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3480049,00.html

[tsipple]

1. Actually, Dean's NH Lead from 14 to 32 Points

I believe Zogby has 30 points and ARG has 32 points over Kerry.

But, as you can see, if polls have spreads that yield anywhere from 14 to 32 points as the lead, you can't trust the polls too much, can you? At best they're imprecise, and public opinion often changes. Sometimes quickly. So I'm not a big fan of "horserace" stories like this one.