WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 8) -- A new CNN/Time Poll shows that President Bill Clinton would trounce likely GOP nominee Robert Dole (R-Kan.) in a head-to-head race today. But Dole would win narrowly were he to chose popular General Colin Powell as his running mate against Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.
Clinton beats Dole 49 percent-to-40 percent in a two-man race. That nine-point spread is smaller than the 13-point lead Clinton had over Dole immediately after the Feb. 20 New Hampshire primary. Although Dole is behind, he does better against Clinton than any of the remaining major Republican candidates.
Only 31 percent of registered voters would pick commentator Pat Buchanan over Clinton, and only 35 percent would back millionaire publisher Malcolm S. "Steve" Forbes Jr. over the president.
If Texas billionaire Ross Perot ran as an independent, as he did in 1992, Clinton's lead over Dole grows to 13 points, with Perot raking off 14% of the vote.
One oft-mentioned vice-presidential candidate Powell would help Republicans, according to the CNN/TIME Poll. A Dole-Powell ticket would beat Clinton and Vice President Al Gore in a two-way race by a 47 percent-to-45 percent spread if the election were held today.
Clinton's lead over Dole appears to be based in part on a perception that Clinton cares about ordinary Americans. Fifty-eight percent of registered voters say Clinton understands the problems of middle-income families, while only 41 percent say that about Dole.
A majority also believes that Clinton would do a better job than Dole in helping the middle class, and in looking out for people like themselves.
For Dole, another weakness among the voters mirrors what his rivals have been saying on the campaign trail. By a narrow, 45 percent-to-43 percent margin, voters do not think Dole has the kind of vision for the future that a president needs.
It's not all bad news for Dole. The poll found that pluralities of registered voters believe Dole would do a better job than Clinton in reducing the federal deficit and improving the country's moral climate. And despite Clinton's current nine-point lead over Dole, the two candidates are about evenly matched on a number of key issues, including the economy, foreign policy and crime.
Registered Republicans are almost equally split over the quality of the GOP field: 49 percent say they are satisfied with the choices, while 47 percent said they would like to see someone else running. Most} of those surveyed want the debate to continue. Only 36 percent say Buchanan should quit the race and only 44 percent say that about Forbes.
