Poll: Clinton's political image intact

PRINCETON, N.J., June 4 (UPI) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has emerged from the bruising Democratic presidential primary with her image mainly intact, a poll indicates.

Seventy-four percent of Democrats still view her favorably, identical to the view of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., the likely Democratic presidential nominee, the Gallup/USA Today poll released Wednesday indicated. The poll was conducted before Tuesday's primary results in Montana and South Dakota and Obama's clinching the Democratic presidential nomination.

For most of 2007, at least 80 percent of Democrats nationwide said they viewed Clinton favorably, pollsters of Princeton, N.J.-based Gallup said. Positive views of her dipped below 80 percent in January and February of 2008, jumped to 85 percent in March, and have been in the mid- to high-70s since.

During the same period, Obama's favorability rose by 12 points to his current level of 74 percent, Gallup said.

Because Clinton didn't lose ground within her party or with independents, pollsters said she has considerable strengths, making her an attractive choice to be Obama's vice presidential candidate.

The results are based on nationwide telephone interviews Saturday and Sunday with 1,012 adults. The sampling error is plus or minus 3 percent.