Forty percent (40%) of Americans say they would definitely vote against Senator Hillary Clinton if she is on the Presidential ballot in 2008. This is up three points from 37% in our last Hillary Meter survey, and the highest this measure has been since early August. Thirty-one percent (31%) said they would definitely vote for her, down slightly from two weeks ago (see trends). In every edition of the Hillary Meter, a plurality of Americans have said they would definitely vote against her.

Currently the former First Lady is perceived as being 55 points to the left of the nation’s political center. Two weeks ago, she was 50 points left of the nation’s political center. A month ago, she held a position 54 points away from the center. The latest shift for New York’s junior Senator along the ideological continuum is mainly due to an increase to 46% in those reporting that they see her as politically liberal. Thirty percent (30%) see her as a moderate, and 8% see her as conservative.

The political center is calculated by subtracting the number of liberals from the number of conservatives among the general public (35% conservative, 18% liberal for a net +17). For the Senator, 8% conservative minus 46% liberal equals a net minus 38. The minus 38 reading for Senator Clinton is 55 points away from the plus 17 reading for the general public

By way of comparison, former Vice President Al Gore is seen by the public as further to the left than both Senator Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Republican Presidential hopefuls John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are seen as closer to the nation's political center. President George W. Bush is 29 points to the right of center.

The current Hillary Meter survey shows that 38% hold a favorable opinion of Clinton, down seven points from the last survey. The number with an unfavorable opinion is up by five to 45%. After a brief up-tick in her favorability ratings in our previous survey, her current numbers mark a return to her earlier range for this measure.

Twenty-six percent (26%) of Americans now believe that Senator Clinton is “very likely” to be the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2008, a two point increase over the last survey and a return to levels she typically enjoyed prior to a drop in this measure in mid-September.

The Hillary Meter is a twice monthly measure of Senator Hillary Clinton's effort to move to the political center. The next update is scheduled for Thursday, November 2, 2006. For as long as the former First Lady is a viable candidate for the White House, Rasmussen Reports will monitor public perceptions of her political ideology.

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