January 30, 2014 11:58 AM UTC

Hillary Clinton Clear Favorite in Really Early Poll

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• by: Colorado Pols

As our friends at The Washington Post report:

Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a commanding 6 to 1 lead over other Democrats heading into the 2016 presidential campaign, while the Republican field is deeply divided with no clear front-runner, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Clinton trounces her potential primary rivals with 73 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, reinforcing a narrative of inevitability around her nomination if she runs. Vice President Biden is second with 12 percent, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) is third with 8 percent…

…The race for the Republican nomination, in contrast, is wide open, with six prospective candidates registering 10 percent to 20 percent support. No candidate has broad backing from both tea party activists and mainline Republicans, signaling potential fissures when the GOP picks a standard-bearer in 2016.

Yes, this poll is really, really early, but there is some interesting data in the results. The number that jumps out at us is 58 — Hilllary Clinton's favorability rating (compared, for example, to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's 35% favorability). For a politician in the public eye so often, it's impressive that Clinton's favorability ratings are still nearly at 60%. If this trend holds, the "narrative of inevitability" surrounding Hillary will become more than just a storyline.