Clinton ranks 3rd in student survey

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has surpassed Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as MSU students’ second-most preferred presidential candidate, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, or IPPSR, has conducted a presidential poll since late November. Throughout the study, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has been the top choice for president.

This is the first time in the survey that Clinton finished behind McCain.

The switch comes after Obama and McCain had victories in Tuesday’s Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries. Clinton has lost 10 straight primaries to Obama with showdowns in Texas and Ohio looming early next month.

Nat Ehrlich, an IPPSR research specialist, said MSU students are “heavily” Democrats, followed by independents and then Republicans.