Posted 3:41 PM by Robert

Mickey Is All Agog III

The FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll taken over Jan. 7-8 has George W. Bush beating Howard Dean 54-33. That 21-point lead is very consistent with the CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll over Jan 2-5 that showed Bush leading Dean by 22 points. Nothing surprising there.

What is notable is that unlike some other polls the FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll also shows Bush trouncing Wesley Clark by twenty points, 52-32%.

If, as some media suggest, early Democratic caucus and primary voters have been moving towards Clark on the basis of his supposed "electability" relative to Dean, these poll results may have a significant effect on Clark's rise.

UPDATE: The Newsweek Poll taken over Jan. 8-9 has George W. Bush leading Howard Dean 51-43%, with the President leading Wesley Clark by 50-41%.

There may be other reasons to deem Wesley Clark "more electable" than Howard Dean, but it is hard to see that conclusion in current national polls.