Midterm voters delivered their verdict on President Barack Obama when they handed the Republican Party an historic win on Tuesday, and it appears they also are inclined to back the GOP in the 2016 presidential election.
According to the
NBC News national exit poll, 40 percent of voters said they would choose any unnamed Republican nominee over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, compared to 34 percent who said they would choose Clinton. Twenty-four percent said it would depend on who is running.
Clinton also came in behind a hypothetical GOP candidate in two of the pivotal presidential swing states. In Florida, 36 percent of voters said they would choose the Republican compared to 32 percent who would choose Clinton. In Ohio, the spread was similar at 36 percent compared to 32 percent.
Nevertheless, Clinton came out on top when voters were asked whether she would make a good president. Forty-three percent of midterm voters agreed.
"She can take solace in the fact that this percentage is higher than for any of four potential 2016 Republican candidates also asked about," MSNBC.com said.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is at the top of the list of contenders considered to make a good president, with 29 percent of voters saying so. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul comes in second at 26 percent, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are tied at 24 percent.
The poll also looked more closely at how Republican midterm voters view each of the candidates for an early glimpse at who might be the leading GOP contender in the primaries.
Among tea party-aligned Republicans, who form the base of the GOP and are therefore most likely to vote, 56 percent said Perry would make a good president, followed by 52 percent who feel that way about Bush and 51 percent for Paul. Just 38 percent of those voters said Christie would make a good president.
White evangelical Republicans were also canvassed given their influence within the party. Bush came out on top with 51 percent saying he would make a good president, followed by Perry at 49 percent, Paul at 41 percent, and just 33 percent of this group saying so for Christie.
The results come as pundits considered the impact of the midterms on Clinton's presidential prospects.
Some say the results enable Clinton to distance herself from Obama and Washington, while others note that the losses in key states such as Florida and Iowa will make it more difficult for her to gain traction in those important swing states,
Politico reported.
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