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Bernie Sanders May Take Iowa, Polls Show Him Tied With Hillary Clinton

By Val Powell
Published on: 13:27 PST, Jan 13, 2016

Senator Bernie Sanders is gaining popularity in Iowa. Recent polls show Sanders gaining ground on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who prevously had a sizable lead over him in the state.

A few weeks ago, a RealClearPolitics poll average, which combines recent surveys, showed Clinton maintaining the double-digit lead she had been enjoying since the beginning of 2016.

However, by Tuesday afternoon, the two presidential candidates’ poll averages were almost the same: Hillary Clinton with 45.5 percent and Bernie Sanders with 45.3 percent.

A Quinnipiac University survey that was released on Tuesday confirmed this trend. Bernie Sanders garnered 49 percent support while Hillary Clinton had 44 percent support in Iowa.

“After three months of Secretary Hillary Clinton holding an average 10-point lead among Iowa Democrats, the playing field has changed,” Peter Brown, Quinnipiac assistant director, said.

Another poll clearly showed Clinton leading Sanders in Iowa, but they also found Sanders’ poll average increasing in the area. According to a Public Policy Polling survey released on Tuesday, Clinton is leading Sanders 46 percent to 40 percent. The research firm reportedly stated that Clinton was ahead of Sanders 52 percent to 34 percent in Iowa last month.

“Clinton is down 6 points from her 52% a month ago, while Sanders is up 6 points from his previous 34% standing,” a press release from P.P.P. confirmed the Vermont Senator’s standing.

P.P.P also reported that Sanders’ favorability/un-favorability has shifted “from 65/23 spread to now 79/13 so his popularity is clearly growing as the voting nears.” The research group also said that the former Secretary of State’s score has remained at 72/72. A Quinnipiac University poll, however, revealed Sanders has an 87/3 score while Clinton has a 74/21 rating.

Apparently, most Iowan Democrats see Bernie Sanders as a better fit for Iowans, Brown added. “They see him, by solid double-digit margins, as more sharing their values, more honest and trustworthy, and viewed more favorably overall than is Secretary Clinton,” explained Brown.

More than 90 percent of respondents reportedly said that Bernie Sanders is “honest and trustworthy” and that the senator “cared about their needs and problems.” Sixty-six percent of the participants believe Hillary Clinton is “honest and trustworthy,” and 29 percent said she is not. Seventy-six percent said that the former Secretary of State “cared about their needs and problems.”

Clinton clearly defeated Sanders when it came to leadership qualities and experience needed to be President. Iowan Democrats believe Clinton is good at handling foreign policy, health care, gun ownership, and terrorism. On the other hand, Sanders got impressive scores on climate change and economic issues.

Recent polls showing which candidate was favored based on the gender and age of Iowan Democrats. It appears that Sanders is leading Clinton among men 61 percent to 30 percent, according to the Quinnipiac survey. Women are more likely to vote for Clinton with 55 percent. Sanders got 39 percent.

P.P.P poll suggested Sanders got the support of most young voters and Clinton is popular among the elderly.

As for their electability in the Presidential race, 85 percent of the respondents believe Clinton will defeat a Republican candidate while 68 percent said Sanders, a democratic socialist, is more electable.

“If you look at the full dynamics of the 2016 race, it’s hard to see the U.S. electing a person who is 74-years-old and has the label of a socialist,” said Democratic pollster Peter Hart. According to Hart, who helps run the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, Bernie Sanders will have a hard time winning the Democratic primary despite his rising popularity.

Indeed the race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton is a tough one, and as the elections draw near, the figures might be even harder to predict.

[Image by Darren McCollester/Getty Images]

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