Subject: Talking Points: Poll, After Right-Wing Onslaught, Clinton Leads in Every Match Up
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 11:31:55 -0700
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*AFTER ONSLAUGHT OF RIGHT-WING ATTACKS, CLINTON STILL LEADS IN EVERY MATCH
UP*

*ATTACK: A new **poll** by McClatchy-Marist shows that a potential Hillary
Clinton candidacy's lead against potential Republican contenders in a
hypothetical 2016 matchup is narrowing from past polls, neglecting the fact
that after an onslaught of right-wing attacks, Clinton maintains a lead.*

Even as right-wing attacks groups throw everything but the kitchen sink at
Hillary Clinton this summer, including three tabloid-style anti-Clinton
books, the potential of a Hillary Clinton 2016 candidacy still outpaces
every hypothetical Republican matchup.

Americans know who to trust.  They know who has been working for the middle
class and working for a lifetime to grow income opportunity.

These numbers offer more evidence that the American people are rejecting
the garbage right-wing attack groups are tossing at Hillary Clinton.

*THE POLL:*

-       Even with an onslaught of Republican attacks, including three
tabloid-style attack books, Hillary Clinton leads every Republican
contender out there.

-       The McClatchy poll shows Hillary Clinton leading every potential
GOP 2016 contender.

-       In head-to-head matchups against three Republican front-runners,
Hillary Clinton wins them all.

-       Clinton beats Chris Christie and Jeb Bush by 7 points and Rand Paul
by 6 points.

*THE BIG PICTURE:*

·       The sky-high approval numbers Hillary Clinton has had for most of
the past few years are reserved for leaders who are viewed as *outside* of
the typical partisan political battles. As Secretary of State, Hillary
Clinton certainly was in that unique role.

·       But as Hillary becomes more involved with domestic issues, as the
media begins framing her in terms of a 2016 Presidential Election and as
the Republican attack machine looks for anything and everything to throw at
her it is no surprise that her numbers are coming back to earth.

Despite all of this – despite the fact that Republicans are resorting to
personal, misinformed and even blatantly false attacks on Hillary Clinton –
she is still one of the most popular leaders in our country.

-       As Dave Weigel wrote
<http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/07/21/the_poll_that_will_make_democrats_panic_about_hillary_clinton.html>,
“few doubt that Hillary is the most electable, most Republican-infuriating
candidate on the horizon.”

-       Most Americans believe that Hillary Clinton can relate to and is in
touch with average Americans. Fifty-five percent of Americans say that
Hillary Clinton can relate to and understand the problems of average
citizens, according to a recent NBC poll
<http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/hillary-clinton/most-believe-hillary-clinton-can-relate-average-americans-poll-finds-n142911>
.

-       Clinton is extremely popular among Democrats: a new NBC/Marist poll
<http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/hillary-clinton/most-believe-hillary-clinton-can-relate-average-americans-poll-finds-n142911>puts
her favorability/unfavorability rating in Iowa at 89 percent/6 percent; in
New Hampshire it’s even higher, at 94 percent/4 percent.

-       In recent polls conducted in Ohio
<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/ohio/release-detail?ReleaseID=2066>,
New Jersey
<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/new-jersey/release-detail?ReleaseID=2068>,
and Florida
<http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/24/clinton-polling-well-in-key-presidential-battleground/>,
Hillary Clinton has commanding leads over all the potential 2016 GOP
contenders.

-       According to a Quinnipiac press release
<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/ohio/release-detail?ReleaseID=2066>
on the Ohio poll, "Secretary Clinton, on the other hand, is almost
everyone's favorite candidate.

-       Regarding the New Jersey poll, a Quinnipiac official stated, “As
Gov. Christopher Christie traipses around the nation, his presidential
potential seems alive, but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the
adopted girl next door, easily beats him in his home state.” [Star-Ledger,
8/6/14
<http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/08/hillary_clinton_leads_christie_for_president_in_nj_poll_finds.html>
]

-       Based on the Florida poll, CNN reported
<http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/24/clinton-polling-well-in-key-presidential-battleground/>
that “Hillary Clinton is the clear 2016 frontrunner in the nation's largest
presidential battleground state.”

-       “Inside the Beltway they may be talking about Mrs. Clinton’s
potential weaknesses should she run in 2016. But at this point in
Florida…she remains queen of the political prom.” [MSNBC, 7/24/14
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-clinton-tops-all-potential-2016-gopers-florida>;
CNN, 7/24/14
<http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/24/clinton-polling-well-in-key-presidential-battleground/>
]

-       At her latest book signing event, crowds stood in the rain for
hours to get a signed copy of Clinton’s memoir, “Hard Choices.” [MV Times,
8/13/14
<http://www.mvtimes.com/2014/08/13/hillary-clinton-steals-vineyard-spotlight/>
]