Another poll confirms growing support for Richardson

Another poll has confirmed Gov. Bill Richardson’s growing popularity in Iowa.

Support for Richardson in the first state to hold a presidential nominating contest is at 9 percent, according to conservative polling company Strategic Vision. Richardson isn’t far behind Hillary Clinton, who came in third among Democrats in the poll at 16 percent.

The poll, conducted May 18-20, surveyed 600 likely Democratic caucus goers and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

A poll conducted by the Des Moines Register between May 12 and 16 had Richardson at 10 percent.

John Edwards led the field of Democrats in the newest poll with 29 percent, and Barack Obama was second with 24 percent. No other candidate had more than 3 percent, and undecideds accounted for 16 percent.

The Register poll had Edwards at 29 percent, Obama at 23 percent and Clinton at 21 percent, so the only significant difference between the two polls is in support for Clinton. What’s certain is that her popularity in Iowa has dropped in recent weeks. Though she’s gaining ground in a number of others states, Iowa’s caucuses have a big influence on voters around the nation, and her drop there threatens her campaign, just like Edwards’ support in Iowa is what is keeping his campaign going as he sits in third place in many other states.

Richardson recently gave an interview to YouTube as part of his successful effort to attract a strong base of support through the Internet. You can watch it below. It was posted on May 15 and already has almost 30,000 views. His funny television commercials, which you can view by clicking here, have been viewed on YouTube almost 155,000 times.

Richardson plans to increase his media buys in Iowa and New Hampshire in light of his recent gains in polls in those states. Expect him to continue to climb in the polls.

One note: Richardson said in this YouTube interview that he’s not interested in being vice president or secretary of state and said, “In five years, if I’m not president, I’ll still be governor.”

No he won’t. Term limits will kick Richardson out of his office on the fourth floor of the Roundhouse at the end of 2010, if he doesn’t opt to leave sooner.