Vice Presidential Preferences Revealed Ahead of Super Tuesday

Strategic Insights -

As the 2004 presidential election heats up, a new survey of 1,000 people of voting age has revealed their preferences for vice presidential candidates. The survey, conducted by phone February 20-22, 2004, asks respondents to express their choices for a running mate for both Democratic Sen. John Kerry and Republican President George W. Bush.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., was the top choice for a Democratic running mate with 25% of the vote, followed by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., with 14%.
  • On the Republican side, Secretary of State Colin Powell emerged as the preferred running mate for President Bush with 32% of the vote, followed by incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney with 24%.
  • The survey found that nearly two-thirds of respondents consider vice presidential nominees important in determining their voting choices, with 65% saying the No. 2 name on the ticket is either very important or somewhat important.
  • Women were more likely to consider vice presidential nominees important, with 69% of women saying they make a difference in how they plan to vote, compared to 61% of men.
  • Secretary Powell was the only Republican nominee to receive a majority of the vote among all age groups, with 40% of 18-24 year olds preferring him as the running mate.

Statistics:

  • 1,000 people of voting age participated in the survey, with a margin of error of +/- 3%.
  • 497 delegates to the Democratic National Convention at the time of the survey belonged to Sen. John Kerry, while Sen. John Edwards had 188 delegates.
  • 2,162 delegates are needed to win the Democratic nomination.
  • 1,151 Democratic delegates were at stake on Super Tuesday, March 2.

Sources:

  • A survey commission by Case Western Reserve University, conducted by phone February 20-22, 2004.
  • The survey was conducted by the research firm Synovate.
  • Case Western Reserve University is a leading research institution, founded in 1826, and known for its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning.
  • The Commission on Presidential Debates selected Case to host the U.S. vice presidential debate on October 5, 2004.
  • The survey is available online at http://www.case.edu/.