The end of the 2014 midterm election means that the next presidential race is just around the corner. The NBC News national exit poll of voters suggests they are divided on which party should occupy the White House after President Obama leaves office. And they are not particularly enthusiastic about the presidential qualifications of the potential contenders.
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is considered the prohibitive favorite for the Democratic nomination, while the Republican field is wide open. In a hypothetical matchup between Clinton and an unnamed Republican, the GOP candidate has the support of 40% of voters, while Clinton takes 34%. Twenty-three percent of voters said it would depend. Of course, the race is contingent on who will eventually be the Republican candidate to face Clinton, if she should decide to run and is able to secure the Democratic nomination.
Clinton also trailed the hypothetical GOP candidate in two key presidential swing states – by 37% to 31% in Florida, and by 39% to 31% in Ohio.
Just 42% of midterm voters said Clinton would make a good president. She can take solace in the fact that this percentage is higher than for any of four potential 2016 Republican candidates also asked about in the NBC News national exit poll. Among those GOP possibilities, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush did slightly better than others, with 29% of voters saying he would make a good president. Bush is followed by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at 26%, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 24% and Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 24%.
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The eventual Republican nominee will first need to run the gauntlet of early caucus and primary states, where GOP base voters carry more weight than independents. Among tea party-aligned Republicans, 56% said Perry would make a good president. Fifty-one percent feel the same about Bush, and 51% say the same about Paul. However, only 38% of tea party Republicans see Christie as White House material.
About half of white evangelical Republicans see Bush – 51% — and Perry – 49% — as making good presidents. Forty-two percent say the same about Paul, but only 32% of this GOP base group feel the same about Christie.









