Florida poll: Clinton 52, Obama 31; McCain passes Rudy

Quinnipiac has a new poll out of the Florida primaries that shows Hillary Clinton with a 52-31 lead over Barack Obama and John Edwards trailing badly with 9 percent.

Clinton's lead in the Dec. 20 poll was 42-21. The big difference in the poll is the collapse of Edwards' support in Florida -- from 19 percent to 9.

On the Republican side, things are looking grim for His Honor Mayor 9/11.

Arizona Sen. John McCain has 22 percent of Republican likely primary voters, with former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani at 20 percent, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 19 percent each, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has 7 percent, with Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 5 percent.

Sen. McCain shows the largest movement since Quinnipiac University's December 20 likely voter survey, picking up 9 percentage points from his fourth-place 13 percent showing. Giuliani has lost 8 percentage points from his then first place 28 percent in the December survey.

Quinnipiac's analysis says that Clinton's lead is fairly solid.

"Sen. Clinton, despite her third-place finish in Iowa and narrow win in New Hampshire, retains a very large lead in the Democratic race. She leads Obama 56 - 30 percent among women."

Sen. Clinton's lead looks even more formidable when voter preferences are analyzed based on the likelihood they will change their minds. While 75 percent of Clinton voters say they are unlikely to change their minds, only 61 percent of Obama voters feel that way.

Of course, this does not bode well for Edwards. It also may drive a stake through the heart of the Ghouliani vampire, especially if Huckabee and/or Romney relegates him to third or fourth.

The MOE on this poll is 4.8 percent.