The 2016 presidential election is all about new ideas and new perspectives, and strategists from both political parties are racing to groom their candidates accordingly. The challenge is particularly tricky on the Democratic side, where favorability numbers waver and the field of White House hopefuls has yet to stabilize.
Most likely voters think the Democratic Party should look for a presidential newcomer in 2016, says a Rasmussen Reports poll released Thursday. Fifty-four percent of all likely U.S. voters believe Democrats should “look for a fresh face to run for president in 2016 rather than promote a candidate who has already run in the past,” the survey says.
Only 22 percent think Democrats should go with a candidate from the past, while 23 percent are not sure.
Among Democratic voters themselves, 57 percent of Democrats say they won’t commit to “someone from the past,” while 36 percent think their party needs a fresh face. Another 21 percent are undecided.
The poll did not list any new faces in particular, but other research suggests that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vice President Joe Biden and Martin O’Malley are among emerging favorites.
Still, 44 percent of the Democrats say the party should promote a candidate who has already run in the past - understandable since Hillary Clinton has sought the Democratic presidential nomination before, and has substantial name recognition and persistent favorability as 2016 approaches.
Currently, 48 percent of all voters give a positive review of Mrs. Clinton; 84 percent of Democrats agree. But 80 percent of Republicans view her unfavorably. “Perhaps of greater concern to Democrats is the finding that 56 percent of voters not affiliated with either major party also view Clinton unfavorably,” the poll says.
The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted on March 16-17.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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