Susan Page

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — On the theory that it's never too early to launch the next campaign, the new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll has identified an overwhelming front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

It's someone entirely new.

Literally. Not an identifiable person. Just "someone entirely new." When that description was included on a list of possible contenders, 66% of Democrats and independents said they would be "excited" to see such a person jump in the race; just 9% thought he or she shouldn't run. That's an overwhelming yes-please-run score of 57 percentage points for, you know, whomever.

Compare that to the downbeat sentiment toward the party's 2016 nominee, former secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Even though she won the popular vote — to be sure, Republican Donald Trump on Monday carried the count that mattered, in the Electoral College — just 23% were excited about the prospect of her running again; 62% said they would prefer she not. That's a please-don't-run score of 39 points.

Read more:

Poll: Trump has not yet made progress in uniting USA

Paleologos on the poll: Evaluating Obama's legacy, Trump's transition

The nationwide poll of 626 registered voters who identified themselves as Democrats or independents, taken Wednesday through Sunday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 points.

The actual person on the list who fared best was Vice President Biden. Forty-three percent would be excited by his decision to run, apparently undeterred by the fact that he'd be 78 years old on Inauguration Day 2021, and 31% would prefer he not run. That's a net positive score of 12 points.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who gave Clinton a run for her money in the Democratic primaries this year, has a positive score of 6 points — that is, 44% "excited" minus 38% who don't want him to run.

Read more:

Senators pay tribute to Vice President Joe Biden

Sanders: Democrats must get out of D.C. to engage working people

And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who decided against a bid in 2016, fares a stitch better, with a positive score of 7 points: 34% would be excited by her campaign; 27% hope she doesn't try it.

Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, the other name included on the list, gets a negative score of 5 points, but that's in part because a 53% majority have never heard of him. Of those who have, 10% would be excited; 15% against the idea.

There is one Democrat who swamps the others in generating support. In response to a separate question, Democrats by 61%-32% said Michelle Obama should run for some sort of elective office in the future. The only problem: She's made it clear she won't. "It's not something I would do," she said flatly in an interview with Oprah Winfrey released Tuesday. Period.