Democrats really, really want Hillary Clinton to run for president, poll shows

Also: Bridge, other scandals appear to have hurt Chris Christie's early chances

Democrats really, really want Hillary Clinton to run for president, poll shows

An overwhelming majority of Democrats want Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2016.

More than 80 percent of Democrats surveyed said they would like the former secretary of state to run, while 13 percent would not, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll released Wednesday. Five percent were undecided. A majority of independents (52 percent) said they would support a Clinton candidacy as well.

The same poll found that a minority (about 40 percent) of Democrats want Vice President Joe Biden to run, while just 22 percent of Democrats said they want Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to enter the race. (Some 56 percent said they don't know enough about Warren to decide.)

On the Republican side, about 40 percent said they would like to see former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul run for president.

According to the survey, conducted Feb. 19-23, more Republicans (41 percent) said they would rather not see scandal-plagued New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie run for president than those that said they would (31 percent).

While most observers and oddsmakers peg Clinton as the favorite to grab the 2016 Democratic nomination, the former first lady has yet to publicly announce her candidacy.

If she does, some Republicans, including Paul, have indicated they will try to use former President Bill Clinton's impeachment — and the Clinton family name — against her.

Earlier this week, Jeb Bush said that if he were to run, his own family name would be "an issue."

"It's something that, if I run, I would have to overcome that," Bush said. "And so will Hillary, by the way. Let's keep the same standards for everybody."

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