 - Poll of democratic candidates Dean barely leading pack in SC_files/goupstate1.gif)
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Article published Dec 6, 2003
Poll
of democratic candidates: Dean barely leading pack in
S.C.
Associated Press
COLUMBIA --
There still is no clear leader from the nine Democratic presidential candidates
among likely South Carolina voters in the state's first-in-the-South primary
Feb. 3, according to a poll released Friday.The latest Zogby International poll
shows former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean favored by 11 percent of the 500 people
surveyed.But five candidates remain within the 4.5 percentage point margin of
sampling error and 37 percent of those polled were undecided."This just
underscores for me the importance of Iowa and New Hampshire as gatekeepers in
this race," pollster John Zogby said."Any suggestion that the first two states
are irrelevant this year is nonsense."The Zogby figures also show how candidates
have done throughout the year.Dean's numbers steadily improved from 1 percent in
March to 11 percent in the December poll.U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut,
who tied with retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas at 9 percent in the
most recent poll, was at 12 percent in March, 13 percent in July and 8 percent
in September, according to Zogby International.North Carolina Sen. John Edwards,
a South Carolina native, was tied with civil rights activist the Rev. Al
Sharpton of New York and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt at 7 percent in the most
recent poll.Edwards was up from March, but down from his 10 percent showing in
September; Gephardt was down from March, but up from his 4 percent showing in
September.Sharpton, who the poll noted does well in South Carolina, has been up
and down, peaking at 8 percent in Zogby's July poll.Massachusetts Sen. John
Kerry was at 4 percent, followed by former Illinois senator and U.S. Ambassador
Carol Mosley Braun at 3 percent.Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich came in at less than 1
percent.The telephone poll was conducted Dec. 2-4.