US senator Hillary Clinton has insisted she has no plans to run for president in 2004, but that hasn't stopped American voters from choosing the former first lady as their preferred candidate to face George W Bush.
A poll released on Tuesday shows that if the elections were held tomorrow, Senator Clinton would fare better against the incumbent Republican president than other Democratic candidates who've announced their intent to enter the race. For example, Vietnam war hero and fellow US Senator John Kerry would be defeated by President Bush, 45 per cent to 36 per cent. Fifty-five-year-old Senator Clinton, according to the poll, would garner 41 per cent of the vote, five points higher than front-runner Kerry but not enough to win the election.
However, supporters of former President Clinton's spouse point out that President Bush's approval rating has dropped for the first time since he took office in 2000. And though Senator Clinton said of a potential candidacy this week, "I am absolutely ruling it out," her website currently carries messages of support from voters urging her to throw her hat into the ring – and insiders say she may change her mind if George W. Bush's popularity continues to wane.
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A survey released on Tuesday says that Senator Clinton would have a strong showing against incumbent George W Bush in a presidential race. The former first lady, however, insists she has no plans to run.
