The latest CNN poll, released today

The latest CNN poll, released today

Interesting tidbits:

1. Chris Christie replaced Rand Paul as the front-runner in a poll of likely GOP voters, but there's no statistical significance. Five different people are preferred by 11%-13% (two elevens, two twelves, and a thirteen) of Republicans, and two others are preferred by 8%. The poll's sampling error is +-4.5%, so they are all essentially even and Christie just happens to be the one with the thirteen. In the demographic breakdowns: Rand Paul leads among men, Mike Huckabee among women, Paul Ryan among registered Republicans, Rick Perry among Southerners. The reason that Christie leads overall is that he pulls just about the same support from every possible group.

What may be significant is the fact that Paul was beating Christie 16-8 in March. That's a fairly large turnaround.

2. "Suppose that for some reason a presidential election were being held today and you had to choose between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Who would you be more likely to vote for?" Romney 53%, Obama 44%.

3. "Suppose that a presidential election were being held today and you had to choose between Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney. Who would you be more likely to vote for?" Hillary 55%, Romney 42%. They are even among likely male voters, but Hillary owns a 62-36 edge among women. That might be a powerful factor in 2016, because there are so many female voters that such a wide gap, if established, could not be overcome. (And Hillary is almost as strong among non-white voters as Obama was.) Another major factor in Hillary's favor is that moderates like her far more than they like Romney (62-35).

Of course Romney ain't runnin'. So there's that.