Election 2016:  Not Donald Trump vs Not Hillary Clinton

Caricatures of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. (Photo: DonkeyHotey/flickr/cc)

Election 2016: Not Donald Trump vs Not Hillary Clinton

New Reuters/Ipsos poll shows voters choosing to vote against, rather than for

The candidates likely voters are backing in the upcoming presidential election appear to be Not Donald Trump and Not Hillary Clinton.

That's according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday, which looks at a general election hypothetical matchup between Clinton and Trump, and found the Democrat leading the Republican 45 to 36 percent.

But nearly half (47 percent) of those who said they'd support Trump said it was because they don't want Hillary Clinton to win. That motivation was echoed on the Democratic side--nearly half (46 percent) of those who said they'd vote for Clinton said it was because they don't want Trump to win.

In comparison, 43 percent of those who said they'd vote for the billionaire real estate mogul said it was because they support most of his political positions; just 40 percent of those who said they'd vote for the former secretary of state were compelled by her political positions.

The results are not surprising, as FiveThirtyEightnoted in a headline Thursday: "Americans' Distaste For Both Trump And Clinton Is Record-Breaking."

"Clinton's average 'strongly unfavorable' rating in probability sample polls from late March to late April [is 37] percent," Harry Enten writes. "Trump, though, is on another planet. Trump's average 'strongly unfavorable' rating, 53 percent, is 20 percentage points higher than every candidate's rating besides Clinton's."

"No major party nominee before Clinton or Trump had a double-digit net negative 'strong favorability' rating," Enten writes, adding, "Voters see this campaign, for now, as truly a choice between the lesser of two evils."

And as USA Todayreported Thursday:

A March Quinnipiac poll showed Trump was viewed unfavorably by 61%, compared to 47% for Ted Cruz and 20% for John Kasich. On the Democratic side, Clinton's unfavorable number was 56%, against 37% for Bernie Sanders. In other words, the higher the disapproval rating, the more delegates the candidate already has in their pocket.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll did not present a matchup between Bernie Sanders--who, according toPolitico, is "poised for May win streak"--and Trump.

"The 2016 race, like most others, will be decided by the political independents," USA Today adds. Among this group, the Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Sanders leading Clinton 41 percent to 30 percent.

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