Sen. Rand Paul leads the GOP 2016 pack, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is more likely to be perceived as capable of handling crises than is President Barack Obama, according to new survey data released Sunday.
A CNN/ORC International survey found Paul the slight favorite for his party’s nomination, with 16 percent of those polled on the question tapping the Kentucky Republican as their choice for the 2016 GOP nod. He was closely followed, within the margin of error, by 2012 vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who pulled in 15 percent; and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, with 11 percent.
Perry, whose unsuccessful 2012 bid was characterized by a series of high-profile missteps, made a big splash at the Conservative Political Action conference earlier this month. Like Paul, he has signaled he is weighing a 2016 presidential bid.
On the other side of the aisle, Clinton was the prohibitive Democratic favorite according to the survey, clocking in with 63 percent support for the 2016 presidential nod. She was followed by Vice President Joe Biden at 13 percent.
The March 7-9 survey of 801 adults across the country — including 367 Republicans and voters who lean Republican; and 372 Democrats and voters who lean Democratic — hase a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Other data from CNN/ORC indicated that 64 percent of Americans surveyed perceived Clinton as “tough enough to handle a crisis” and the same percentage of people called her a “strong leader,” while only half called Obama a “strong leader” and 53 percent said he is “tough.” Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed considered her likable, the poll said. However, the survey also found that only 50 percent of those polled would be “proud” to have her as president.
