Here Are The Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #13215

Geography Surveyed: South Carolina
Data Collected: 01/16/2008 - 01/17/2008
Release Date: 01/18/2008 7:55 AM ET
Sponsors: WCSC-TV Charleston, WSPA-TV Greenville

8 Days to SC Democratic Primary, Obama 10 Atop Clinton: In a SC Democratic Primary Today, 01/17/08, 8 days to the vote, Barack Obama defeats Hillary Clinton 46% to 36%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WSPA-TV Greenville and WCSC-TV Charleston. John Edwards finishes 3rd at 15%. Obama today gets 3 of 4 black votes, up from half of black votes in November. Clinton today gets half of white votes. John Edwards and Obama split the other half. Obama's support is young. Clinton's support is old. If younger voters do not vote, Obama's margin here is overstated. Obama and Clinton tie Upstate. Obama leads by 14 in the Midlands and in the Low Country. Among voters who say the next President should focus on the Economy ahead of all other issues, Clinton and Obama tie. Among voters focused on Health Care, Obama leads Clinton 2:1. Unlike other Primary states, Obama, not Clinton, leads among women in SC, though within the survey's margin of sampling error.

22% May Change Their Mind: 2,250 South Carolina adults were interviewed 01/15/08 and 01/16/08. Of them, 1,958 were registered to vote. Of them, 577 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in the 01/26/08 Democratic Primary. 22% of likely Democratic Primary voters say they "may" change their mind. This number is further understated, because an additional 189 voters were excluded by SurveyUSA from the poll because they had not yet decided whether they would vote in the Republican Primary on 01/19/08 or the Democratic Primary on 01/26/08. The South Carolina Primary is "open." How these Palmetto Fence-Sitters ultimately dismount will influence the outcome of both primaries. The outcome of the Nevada caucus on 01/19/08 will also influence what happens in South Carolina.