WashPost Poll: Dem WH Contest Competitive, Fluid

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is both competitive and fluid less than 100 days before the Iowa caucuses, with a stable trio of leading candidates and a fourth rising above a dozen others, the Washington Post reported.

The Washington Post-ABC News survey found that Democrats see former vice president Joe Biden as the strongest leader and say he’s got the best shot at defeating President Donald Trump.

But he holds no advantage on five other attributes, including policy issues, bringing needed change and being mentally sharp, the poll found.

Here’s the breakdown among Democratic-leaning registered voters on their pick if their state’s primary or caucus was held today:

• 28% would support Biden;
• 23% would pick Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts;
• 17% would go for Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermontd, and;
• 9% support South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Here’s the count on who has the best shot at beating Trump:

• 42% say Biden;
• 17% say Warren;
• 16% say Sanders;
• 3% say Buttigieg, and;
• 2% say Sen. Kamala Harris of California.

Asked who’s the strongest leader:

• 35% choose Biden;
• 20% choose Sanders, and;
• 19% select Warren.

Asked which candidate “best understands the problems of people like you”:

• 30% chose Sanders;
• 22% picked Biden, and;
• 20% chose Warren. 

Asked who's closest to the voter on the issues:

• Biden and Sanders tied at 25%;

Asked about honesty:

• Biden and Sanders got 26% and 27% respectively;
• 16% say Warren is most honest.

Asked which of five leaders “has the sharpest mental ability”:

• Biden was picked by 21%;
• Warren got 24%;
• Sanders came in with 17%;
• Buttigieg got 15%, and;
• 7% mentioned Harris.

Here’s Democrats’ first or second choice preferences:

• 41% say Warren;
• 40% pick Biden;
• 34% pick Sanders;
• 16% pick Buttigieg.

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 5.5 percentage points among the sample of 452 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independent adults, and plus or minus six points among the sample of 402 Democratic-leaning registered voters.

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