DEMS IN LEAD IN CNN POLL

A new CNN Poll out tonight shows the Democrats with the early advantage in the 2008 presidential sweepstakes.

Some 52% of respondents said they would vote for a Democrat in the race or are leaning that way, compared with 32% for the Republicans.

In a various matchups of the top three candidates in both parties, the Democrat wins 6 times, the Repiblican twice and Rudy Giulian and Al Gore tie at 46%. Democrats Hillary Clinton wins one-on-one matchups against Republicans John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.

Barack Obama beats only Romney. But if you look at the numbers (below) all of the matchups are reasonably close except for those involving Mitt Romney, who gets blown away in one-on-one pairings with Clinton, Gore and Obama.

Clinton 47% - McCain 47%
Clinton 48% - Giuliani 46%
Clinton 57% - Romney 34%
McCain 47% - Obama 43%
Giuliani 49% - Obama 42%
Obama 51% - Romney 35%
Gore 47% - McCain 46%
Gore 46% - Giuliani 46%
Gore 53% - Romney 37%