If front-runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton lead their respective parties into the general election, a new
CNN/ORC poll finds Clinton would most likely come out on top in the November election.
According to the poll, overall voters believe Clinton has an edge on Trump, as she is more in touch with the middle class and more often aligned with Americans' views on important issues:
- 56 percent think Clinton would win a match-up with Trump;
- 42 percent think Trump would win a match-up with Clinton.
Among Democratic voters, 87 percent say Clinton will win, which is more than Republican voters say about Trump. Only 75 percent say he will win.
Among Republicans who are not backing Trump:
- 40 percent say Clinton will win;
- 57 percent say Trump will win;
However, among Trump supporters, 92 percent say Trump will win the election in November.
When asked who voters "admire" the most, CNN reports Clinton has a 15-point lead over Trump, yet nearly one-quarter of voters say they admire neither candidate.
And, in terms of favorability, both front-runners are viewed as unfavorable with 57 percent having a negative view on Clinton and 65 percent on Trump.
CNN notes that although there aren't any favorites among voters, within their own parties, the candidates are generally more highly regarded.
Among Democrats:
- Clinton, 73 percent;
- Sen. Bernie Sanders, 71 percent;
Among Republicans:
- Trump, 63 percent;
- Ted Cruz, 60 percent;
- John Kasich, 49 percent;
The CNN/ORC poll was conducted by telephone March 17-20 among 1,001 randomly selected adult Americans, including 925 registered voters.
The results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, and it is larger for subgroups.