McCain Leads in New Hampshire, Four Days Before Vote: Zogby Poll

Editor: Alan Gray

Poll Taken Before Iowa Caucuses Finds McCain Over Romney 34% to 30%

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire - Republican John McCain leads in New Hampshire four days before the state's presidential nominating contest, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Friday.

The poll was taken before Iowa's caucuses on Thursday, when Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee easily captured the first big prizes in the state-by-state battle to choose candidates in November's presidential election.

In the New Hampshire poll, Republican Arizona Sen. McCain holds an early four-point edge on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 34 percent to 30 percent.

Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister, was at 10 percent in New Hampshire, which does not have as many of the evangelical voters who helped propel him to his Iowa win.

"McCain is in a good position here already, and Romney was really hurt by his showing in Iowa," Zogby said. "Huckabee will get some kind of bounce in New Hampshire."

About 7 percent of Republicans remained undecided in the New Hampshire poll, leaving room for momentum swings even before the Iowa results were known.

The rolling poll of 1,076 likely Republican voters was taken Monday through Thursday. The Republican poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

Among Republicans, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was at 9 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul was at 7 percent and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson was at 2 percent. California Rep. Duncan Hunter was at less than 1 percent.

McCain won the 2000 New Hampshire primary during his failed presidential bid when independents, who can vote in either party's primary, flocked to his campaign.

This time, the poll found 60 percent of New Hampshire's independents planned to vote in the Democratic primary, with 40 percent looking to the Republican contest.

Paul, the anti-war libertarian who has developed an intense group of grass-roots supporters, drew the most dedicated backing with 69 percent calling it very strong.

McCain and Huckabee both had 58 percent who called their support very strong.

The rolling tracking poll will continue each day until New Hampshire's voting on Tuesday. In a rolling poll, the most recent day's results are added while the oldest day's results are dropped in order to track changing momentum.

Source: Reuters

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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