Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are more popular among independent voters than any single Republican candidate, according to a national poll released yesterday.
 
A Harris Interactive Poll found that 40 percent of independents would consider voting for Clinton and 35 percent would consider voting for Obama. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) each garnered the consideration of 27 percent of independent voters.
 
The survey polled adults of all political ideologies by tracking both for whom they would consider voting and who would be their No. 1 choice for president.
 
Of the Democratic voters polled, 74 percent said they would consider voting for Clinton and 36 percent named her as their first choice. Meanwhile, 53 percent of Democrats said they might vote for Obama and 18 percent called him their first choice, according to Harris Interactive.
 
Among Republicans, 58 percent said they would consider supporting Giuliani and 21 percent said he would be their pick for the White House. Forty-six percent of Republicans said that McCain is up for consideration and 15 percent said that they would cast their vote for him.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is the top Republican choice for president among all voters, even though there has been no suggestion of his candidacy.