EAST LANSING – In the first MSU presidential election survey of its type, students selected Sen. Barack Obama as their first choice for president. The web survey was conducted by the Office for Survey Research in the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at MSU.

Among MSU students, Democrat Obama claimed 34 percent of the first

choice votes. Former First Lady Hillary Clinton won 18 percent and former New

York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani slid into third with 8 percent.

Among women, Obama won 36 percent of their tallies, Clinton 26 percent

and Giuliani 10 percent. Men diverged slightly, giving Obama 32 percent of the

vote, Clinton 12 percent and Giuliani 7 percent.

Even though former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee clinched the Iowa

Republican caucuses, he was far less favored among MSU students. He won only 15 votes, about 3 percent, among all students taking part in the survey.

A total of 529 students responded to the web survey expected to continue

through the campaign season. The survey was conducted between Nov. 28 and Dec. 12. The students agreed to participate as a panel in the series of surveys that will track changes in attitudes at key points leading to next November?s vote. The next panel survey begins just after the New Hampshire primary.

?This is the first-ever web survey we?ve conducted asking students about

their choice for president,? said Douglas Roberts, IPPSR?s director.

?We?ll be watching for shifts and changes in their preferences as the season

unfolds.?

Students were asked to select their first, second and third choices for

president among a list of 17 previously announced candidates. The list included

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Republican who has since withdrawn from the

presidential race.

The next survey will present students with 14 candidates. Sens. Chris Dodd

of Connecticut and Joseph Biden of Delaware, both Democrats, withdrew following poor Iowa finishes. Nat Ehrlich, OSR survey researcher, designed the survey in consultation with Karen Clark, OSR project manager and web survey coordinator.

For more information, click on IPPSR.MSU.edu

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