The Clinton-Obama so-called "Dream Ticket" may be anything but for Democrats if the latest poll in New York state is to be believed: According to the latest WNBC/Marist Poll, a hypothetical Republican ticket of John McCain and Condoleeza Rice would beat a ticket featuring Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in blue New York state — regardless of which one was president.
According to the poll, McCain/Condi would earn the votes of 49% of registered voters in New York State compared with 46% for a Clinton/Obama ticket, and the same 49% against an underwhelming 44% for an Obama/Clinton ticket (so much for those Obamicans).
Rice's name was thrown into the ring this past Sunday by Republican strategist Dan Senor, who told a roundtable on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" that Rice was "actively campaigning" for the V.P. position. Nevertheless, Rice has not asserted any sort of candidacy, and McCain claimed to have "missed those signals" from Madame Secretary of State. However, New York state voters apparently received them loud and clear. (So, too, did conservative activist Grover Norquist, whose Wednesday-morning D.C. breakfast meeting Rice addressed, in what Senor took to be an example of the aforementioned active campaigning. Said Norquist to the Washington Post: "She hit it out of the ballpark.")
If Rice doesn't want the gig, however, Dems can be slightly cheered that they'd beat out a McCain ticket with Connecticut Senator/former Democratic V.P. contender Joe Lieberman on board: Clinton/Obama would take them 53%-40%, and Obama/Clinton would take them 49%-45%.
Outside of the "Dream Ticket," McCain would do well in New York, despite its true-blue roots: Clinton would beat him a scant 48-46%, and he'd turn the tables and beat Obama by the same scant margin in that match-up. Keep in mind that this is Hillary Clinton's home state as Senator, but also keep in mind that it's New York. Yikes.
DEMOCRATS' "DREAM TICKET" IS A NIGHTMARE AGAINST McCAIN/RICE IN NEW YORK [WNBC/Marist Poll]