Upcoming: new L.A. Times/Bloomberg polls for Pennsylvania, N.C. and Indiana
Pollsters for the L.A. Times and Bloomberg have been in the field in the three states that will next shape the careening Democratic presidential race, and the results will be welcomed by the recently battered and bruised Barack Obama campaign.
We're not quite ready to reveal the numbers; the findings and an analysis of them will be available here about 2 p.m. (PDT). But, in line with a Quinnipiac poll released today for Pennsylvania, the Times/Bloomberg survey reports little change in what had been the trend in the state as its April 22 primary approaches, despite the firestorm over Obama's comments about the mentality of some denizens of small towns.
Same goes for North Carolina -- prevailing voter attitudes there in the May 6 faceoff between Hillary Clinton and Obama do not seem to have been reshaped by the controversy.
The big surprise emerged from Indiana, which also holds its primary on May 6. So far, little polling has been conducted there, but what has been done has been positive for Clinton. No so with these new numbers.
The furor currently surrounding Obama erupted Friday afternoon; our polls were conducted Thursday through Monday.
A caveat about Pennsylvania -- along with the Clinton/Obama fight, a battle is shaping up there among pollsters. Two other fresh surveys (see here and here) give Clinton the double-digit margin most analysts believe she needs to get a major boost from the state.
More broadly, even if Obama dodges bullets in the upcoming primary -- and goes on to claim his party's nomination -- veteran progressive journalist John Judis sounds the alarm about his prospects in November, due in part to his "bitter" comments, in this New Republic piece.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/upcoming-new-la.html
