Time to Turn to the Presidential Sweepstakes:

The Gallup Poll is quick to check the American pulse for their Presidential preferences after the mid-term Congressional election has closed. A new USA Today/Gallup poll suggests that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton leads (31 percent) the Democratic field, with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama a fairly distant second (19 percent) and last-time-out vice presidential contender John Edwards of South Carolina struggling at third (10 percent). On the Republican front, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are virtually tied, with Rudy having a slight edge (28 percent vs. 26 percent). Looking at differences based on gender (click on results), we find that at this point in time, men and women are not so far apart over Republican candidates, but, among Democrats, women are more likely to favor Hillary.