Could the Democrats be calling “Ready for Hillary” once again? Recent poll data suggests that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, despite being politically inactive for nearly seven years, still holds some sway within the party. If President Joe Biden decides to step away from the 2024 race, it appears Clinton could potentially seize the opportunity, given the right circumstances.
A Premise poll released this week put forth an intriguing hypothetical to Democrats: “If President Biden does not run for reelection, who would be your preferred candidate in 2024?” Topping the list was Vice President Kamala Harris, though her 22 percent support is hardly a strong vote of confidence, particularly in light of her current status as the least popular VP since NBC began tracking this data.
Intriguingly, Clinton secured the second position with a respectable 17 percent support, despite her lengthy absence from the political frontlines. Her name still resonates with potential primary voters, who seem to perceive a possible path for her to reenter the fray. Interestingly, she outpaced both Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who earned the backing of 11 percent and 9 percent of respondents, respectively.
Other notable figures like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg each earned 7 percent support. Meanwhile, Robert Kennedy Jr., although netting less than 5 percent in the Premise poll, has shown up to 20 percent backing in other polls among likely Democratic primary voters.
Given Clinton’s somewhat surprising performance in this poll, despite no indication of any intention to run for public office again, one has to ponder the nature of Democratic sentiments as we move closer to 2024. Particularly noteworthy is the sentiment captured in the poll that a significant 59 percent of respondents do not wish for Biden to pursue a second term.
The survey, conducted from June 27 to June 26, incorporated responses from 2,068 Americans via the Premise smartphone application. The methodology involved stratified sampling of its opt-in panel members and post-stratification weighting based on the American Community Survey to provide a representative sample.
As conservatives, we value a healthy political climate with robust competition and choices, even if it leads to surprising comebacks. Whether or not Clinton decides to make another run, these poll numbers give us an intriguing glimpse into the Democratic landscape heading into 2024.
