New Party, Who Dis?
A new poll shows New Hampshire Democrats prefer a Democratic Socialist to Hillary Clinton. And also shows Trump losing big to Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren—and Beto O'Rourke.
A remarkable New Hampshire poll released Sunday shows that state Democrats think 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton represents the party less than either Sen. Elizabeth Warren or Democratic-Socialist darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
According to the NH Journal poll, which surveyed 593 registered voters earlier this month, 55 percent of New Hampshire Democrats believe that Elizabeth Warren best represents the Democratic party. Ocasio-Cortez came in second with 28 percent. Just 17 percent said that Clinton was the best representation of the current party.
“The fact that so many Democrats in New Hampshire see Sen. Warren as an accurate reflection of their party isn’t that surprising,” NH Journal publisher Shawn McCoy said in a press release. “But the fact that Hillary Clinton, an icon of the party for 30 years, trails a progressive activist newcomer like Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is astonishing.”
Republicans shouldn’t spend too much time gloating over these numbers, however. Because even while New Hampshire Democrats are inching away from Clinton, the poll shows that New Hampshire voters overall are running away from Trump. In 2016 Trump came within half a percentage point of winning the state. Now, he trails both Warren and Vermont Socialist Bernie Sanders by 13 points (54 percent to 41 percent) in head-to-head polling. (Trump also trails Beto O'Rourke 48 percent to 41 percent.)
The poll contains one word of comfort for the president: A sizeable majority of state Republicans (59 percent) said they’d support Trump if he were challenged by Utah senator Mitt Romney.
CNN reported Sunday that Hillary Clinton just can’t seem to make herself rule out running again in 2020. But this poll is just the latest reminder: It’s not your abuela’s party anymore.
