Edwards, Clinton are Top Favorites -- and Top Unfavorites -- For Obama Veep Slot

rasmussenreports.comTue Jul 29, 8:50 AM ET

When it comes to whom voters like among Barack Obama's possible running mates, it's all about the also-rans.

A new Rasmussen Reports national survey finds that 56% have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, including 21% who view him Very favorably. He slightly edges Senator Hillary Clinton, who is viewed at least somewhat favorably by 51%, with 27% characterizing their view of her as Very Favorable.

But both Edwards and Clinton, who ran against Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, have high negatives, too, rivaling the numbers for those who hold them in highest regard. While only 35% view Edwards at least somewhat unfavorably, 20% say their opinion of him is Very Unfavorable. For Clinton, with 46% regarding her at least somewhat unfavorably, nearly three out of 10 voters (29%) say they think of her Very unfavorably.

Obama is not expected to name his choice until closer to the Democratic National Convention in late August. On NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday, the only name he would acknowledge as being on his short list is Clinton's.

The high number of "not sure" responses in the new survey indicates that voters are not even aware of many of the Democratic vice presidential possibilities. Sixty-one percent (61%), for example, are not sure how they feel about Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, who is often mentioned as a dark horse candidate for vice president. Fifty-one percent (51%) say the same about Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, a Vietnam War Marine veteran who is highly regarded by many in the party, but Webb already has said he is not interested in being Obama's running mate. By contrast, only 2% say they are not sure what they think about Clinton.

Politically speaking, vice presidential candidates add little to a ticket overall and are seen as more valuable in targeting a set group of voters or a section of the country. Clinton was initially viewed as a valuable addition to the Democratic ticket because of her attractiveness to women voters, but women are already moving toward Obama's candidacy more than men at this juncture.

Fifty-one percent of voters said Obama should pick Clinton as his running mate in a survey in early June, right after he wrapped up the nomination. In another survey later that month, only 37% thought Clinton wanted to Obama to win but 44% thought she should be on the ticket with him.

In the latest poll, another Obama rival in the Democratic primaries, Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware, is viewed at least somewhat favorably by 35% and somewhat unfavorably by nearly as many (34%).

Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana has higher unfavorables than favorables, with 30% viewing him at least somewhat unfavorably while 21% view him at least somewhat favorably. Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who toured Afghanistan and Iraq with Obama last week and is the one Republican who is considered a possible Democratic vice presidential nominee, has a similar problem – with 30% regarding him at least somewhat unfavorably but only 24% seeing him in a favorable light.

For Democrats specifically, again those with the highest visibility have the highest ratings. Clinton is the leader, with 46% regarding her Very favorably. Edwards is next with 38% saying they have a Very Favorable view of him. Twenty-one percent (21%) feel that way about Biden.

By comparison, 21% of Democrats view Virginia Governor Tim Kaine at least somewhat favorably, but only 4% regard him Very favorably. Fifty-four percent (54%) of Democrats are unsure what they think of Kaine.

In the Rasmussen Reports vice presidential markets at the time of this survey, Bayh is favored by 33.9%, with Kaine at 18.2%, Biden at 15% and Sebelius at 13.3%. Clinton is near the bottom at 3.9%, and no one is trading in Edwards. These figures are from a prediction market, not a poll and are updated on a 24/7 basis. Current expectations for leading candidates is available HERE.

This national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from each night from July 25-27, 2008. The margin of sampling error for each survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.