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Poll: Hillary Clinton, Scott Walker lead the packs in March to 2016

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2016A new national poll from Public Policy Polling has former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a commanding lead among the top Democratic contenders for president, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker with a small lead in a crowded Republican field.

Clinton was at 63 percent in the most recent PPP poll, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders a distant second at 13 percent, and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb an even more distant third at 6 percent.

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee was at 5 percent, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley registered at 2 percent.

Clinton has a broad-based coalition of support: getting more than 60 percent of liberals, moderates, women, whites, African Americans and seniors in the Democratic base, and over 50 percent of males, Latinos and young voters.

Her only issue would seem to be the one that helped derail her in 2008: her perceived inevitability.

Nothing is inevitable on the GOP side at this early stage. Walker leads, but at just 18 percent, with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 13 percent, Ben Carson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee each at 11 percent, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 10 percent.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is at 9 percent, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is at 5 percent.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the O’Malley of the right, at 2 percent.

PPP also polled Republican voters on the manufactured controversy over a supposed federal government takeover of Texas via Operation Jade Helm. Forty percent of GOP primary voters aren’t buying the story being pushed by the right-wing media and blogosphere that the military exercises are aimed at a federal takeover of Texas, though 32 percent do believe the story.

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