Schieffer: CBS News Poll Showing Tie With Trump 'Devastating' For Clinton
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Hillary Clinton has lost what once was a 10-point lead over Donald Trump.
The latest CBS News/New York Times poll revealed Thursday the two are tied at 40 percent heading into the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Last month, the former secretary of state held a six-point lead, and in April she was favored 50 to 40 percent over the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
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CBS News contributor Bob Schieffer said on "CBS This Morning" the latest poll is "devastating" for Clinton.
"I think this poll is devastating for Hillary Clinton," the former "Face the Nation" host said. "I just don't think there is any other way to put it."
Schieffer explained what's hurt the Clinton campaign is Trump opening up a "big lead" among independents.
"Independents are the people who are going to decide this race. I keep hearing about Democrats worrying about 'how do we get to the Bernie Sanders people? How does Hillary Clinton get to the left of Bernie Sanders?' I think it's in the middle where she's got to work on getting people, and this poll really shows it," Schieffer said.
The poll also revealed that 28 percent view the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as honest, while 67 percent said she is not honest and trustworthy. For Trump, 62 percent of those polled don't think he's honest and two-thirds believe he is not prepared to be president.
Clinton only has a 28 percent favorable rating, compared to Trump's 30 percent. Both candidates' unfavorable rating is at 54 percent.
"We have managed to come up with two people here, on the Republican and Democratic side, that a majority of Americans don't like, and even worse, don't trust. How does that happen?" Schieffer said. "It seems to me the main appeal of both candidates now is that they're not the other candidate."
Schieffer continued, "In a country of 340 million people this is how we wind up this thing. I don't think we've ever had a choice quite like this."
The poll was conducted among 1,600 adults nationwide, including 1,358 registered voters, from July 8-12.
