Nation-Building >> Dean's polling numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire | return to front page

A pair of reports show improvement in Dean's polling numbers. From the Nashua Telegraph is this report of polling numbers from the American Association of Health Plans:

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Kerry: 36 percent
Lieberman: 18 percent
Dean: 16 percent
Gephardt: 8 percent
Edwards: 6 percent
Sharpton: 1 percent
Undecided: 15 percent

IOWA
Kerry: 24 percent
Gephardt: 23 percent
Lieberman: 13 percent
Edwards: 9 percent
Dean: 8 percent
Sharpton: 2 percent
Undecided: 21 percent

Note that Dean has a rather poor showing in Iowa, trailing behind the Big Four. He has a better showing in New Hampshire, but still sits in third place. Kerry has by far the strongest numbers thus far. Another poll by the American Research Group suggests that Dean might be better positioned to take advantage of the state's legendary independent voters:

Independents make up a tantalizing 38 percent of registered voters in New Hampshire, and every Democratic hopeful wants them in 2004.
...
A recent poll by Bennett's firm, American Research Group, showed Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry leading the field among likely voters in the Democratic primary, which is a year away. But among those who identified themselves as independents, former Vermont governor Howard Dean has a slight edge.

Though Dean urges Democrats to return to their roots, he also is positioning himself as an independent voice.

"What people liked about John McCain they will like about me," he said during a recent stop in Concord. "With me, what you see is what you get. And you're not going to like every bit of it, but you're always going to know where I stand and why I stand there.'"

As with the other poll, it did find Kerry leading, however. Dean still has a uphill battle ahead.