Quinnipiac: Hillary Clinton leads Democratic field, but gap is narrowing

It’s starting to look like 2008 all over again for Hillary Clinton, who began the walkup to 2016 as the presumptive favorite to win the Democratic Party presidential nomination, and is now seeing her support eroding in the polls.

A new Quinnipiac University poll has Clinton still leading the Democratic field, but Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Vice President Joe Biden are nipping at her heels.

Clinton has the support of 45 percent of Democratic voters, down from 55 percent in a July 30 Quinnipiac poll. Sanders is at 22 percent, and Biden, who has yet to formally enter the race for the nomination, is at 18 percent.

“The real news is the man who isn’t there – yet. Vice President Joseph Biden has the best appeal in general election matchups against top Republicans,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

“Note to Biden: They like you, they really like you, or they like you more than the others,” Malloy said. “If he is sitting on the fence, his scores in the matchups and his favorability ratings may compel him to say, ‘Let’s do this.’”

Biden does test the best of the top three Democrats in potential general election matchups in 2016. He leads Donald Trump 48-40, Jeb Bush 45-39 and Marco Rubio 44-41.

Clinton leads Trump 45-41, Bush 42-40 and Rubio 44-43. Sanders leads Trump 44-41, Bush 43-39 and trails Rubio 41-40.

– Story by Chris Graham