Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has the support of less than 50 percent of Democrats in the key states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, her favorability rating among overall voters is underwater in all three states, and majorities say she is not honest and trustworthy.
That’s according to new polling on the swing states released Thursday by Quinnipiac University, which also shows Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. running about as well as Mrs. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential front-runner, or ahead of her in head-to-head match-ups against three leading Republican contenders.
“Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers are like a leaky faucet: drip … drip … drip. She is now getting less than half the vote in all three states’ Democratic primaries,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll. “Perhaps most telling is how poorly she scores when all voters in these three key states are asked about her empathy, honesty and temperament.”
Majorities of respondents in all three states said they don’t think she “cares about the needs and problems of people like you.” A slim majority of voters in Pennsylvania said she has the right kind of temperament and personality to handle an international crisis as president, as did a 49 percent to 47 percent plurality in Ohio. Fifty-one percent of Florida voters said she does not have the right kind of temperament and personality to do so.
Majorities in all three states did say she has strong leadership qualities.
In Florida, she has the support of 48 percent of Democrats, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont at 15 percent and Mr. Biden at 11 percent. Overall, she had a 55 percent unfavorable rating, with 37 percent of voters viewing her favorably. By a 64 percent to 32 percent margin, Florida voters said she was not honest and trustworthy.
SEE ALSO: Donald Trump tops GOP field in Florida, Pennsylvania, second in Ohio
She also trailed in head-to-head match-ups with Republicans: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush led her by 11 points, 49 percent to 38 percent, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida led her by 12 points, 51 percent to 39 percent, and businessman Donald Trump led her by 2 points, 43 percent to 41 percent.
Mr. Biden also trailed Mr. Bush by a similar 13-point, 51 percent to 38 percent margin, but was down 6 to Mr. Rubio, 48 percent to 42 percent, and led Mr. Trump by 3 points, 45 percent to 42 percent.
In Ohio, Mrs. Clinton was at 47 percent, followed by 17 percent for Mr. Sanders and 14 percent for Mr. Biden. She had a negative 36 percent/54 percent favorably/unfavorable split overall and voters said by a 60 percent to 34 percent margin that she is not honest and trustworthy.
She did lead Mr. Bush in a head-to-head match-up in Ohio by 2 points, 41 percent to 39 percent, and she led Mr. Trump by 5 points, 43 percent to 38 percent. But she trailed Mr. Rubio by 2 points, 42 percent to 40 percent.
Mr. Biden, meanwhile, led Mr. Bush by 3 points, 42 percent to 39 percent, he led Mr. Rubio by 1 point, 42 percent to 41 percent, and he led Mr. Trump by 10 points, 48 percent to 38 percent.
In Pennsylvania, Mrs. Clinton had the support of 45 percent of Democrats, followed by 19 percent for Mr. Sanders and 17 percent for Mr. Biden.
She had a negative 38 percent/55 percent favorable/unfavorable split and voters, by a 63 percent to 32 percent margin, said she is not honest and trustworthy.
Mr. Bush led Mrs. Clinton in Pennsylvania by 3 points, 43 percent to 40 percent, and Mr. Rubio led her by 7 points, 47 percent to 40 percent. Mrs. Clinton led Mr. Trump by 5 points, 45 percent to 40 percent.
Mr. Bush led Mr. Biden by 1 points, 43 percent to 42 percent, Mr. Rubio led Mr. Biden by 3 points, 44 percent to 41 percent, and Mr. Biden led Mr. Trump by 8 points, 48 percent to 40 percent.
In contrast to Mrs. Clinton, pluralities of voters in each state also had a favorable view of Mr. Biden, with about 60 percent of voters in each state saying the vice president is honest and trustworthy.
“Vice President Joseph Biden, who is spending his time in seclusion, contemplating whether to take on Secretary Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries for president, has some new information to consider,” Mr. Brown said. “In head-to-head matchups against the three leading contenders for the Republican nomination, he runs as well or slightly better than she does.”
From Aug. 7-18, Quinnipiac surveyed:
• 1,093 Florida voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The survey includes 345 Democrats, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.3 percentage points.
• 1,096 Ohio voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The survey includes 353 Democrats with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percentage points.
• 1,085 Pennsylvania voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The survey includes 462 Democrats with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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