Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has pulled away from the field in the Democratic Presidential nomination race: his support among Democratic primary voters nationwide has risen in the past month, and held steady after the news of Saddam Hussein's capture. But the race remains open: more than half of Democratic voters still have no opinion of Dean, most have not made up their minds for sure, and large numbers remain undecided.

Dean has been a vociferous critic of the Iraq war. Most voters believe, as Dean does, that the U.S. is no safer from terror in the wake of the arrest of Saddam Hussein. And while Dean's rise may have been helped along by former Vice-President Al Gore's recent endorsement, most primary voters say Gore's nod makes no difference to them.

Dean has the backing of 23 percent of likely primary voters, the same as he did in the days just prior to Saddam's capture, and up from 14 percent in November. His nearest rivals today are Wesley Clark and Joe Lieberman, both at 10 percent.

Get Breaking News Delivered to Your Inbox

CHOICE FOR DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

(Democratic primary voters)

Now

Howard Dean

23%

Wesley Clark

10%

Joe Lieberman

10%

Richard Gephardt

6%

Al Sharpton

5%

John Kerry

4%

John Edwards

2%

Carol Moseley-Braun

1%

Dennis Kucinich

1%

Don't Know

28%

12/10-13

Howard Dean

23%

Wesley Clark

10%

Joe Lieberman

6%

Richard Gephardt

5%

Al Sharpton

6%

John Kerry

4%

John Edwards

3%

Carol Moseley-Braun

4%

Dennis Kucinich

3%

Don't Know

24%

Last month

Howard Dean

14%

Wesley Clark

9%

Joe Lieberman

9%

Richard Gephardt

12%

Al Sharpton

3%

John Kerry

7%

John Edwards

2%

Carol Moseley-Braun

4%

Dennis Kucinich

2%

Don't Know

23%

Trending News No More Lawsuits

Dean's rise between November and now seems to have come partly at the expense of Congressman Richard Gephardt -- whose 6 percent support today is down from 12 percent last month -- and to a lesser extent from Senator John Kerry, who has fallen to 4 percent nationally from 7 percent last month. But in a sign the race could still shift, the number of voters who do not have a candidate choice has also grown, up to 28 percent today from 23 percent one month ago.

Dean has said that while he applauds the U.S.' capture of Saddam, it will not make the U.S. any safer, and most voters agree. 85 percent of Democratic primary voters think the threat to the U.S. will either rise or stay just as it is following Saddam's capture -- a feeling shared by 78 percent of all voters nationwide.

AFTER SADDAM'S CAPTURE, THE TERROR THREAT IS…?

Increased

Democratic primary voters

22%

All voters

17%

Still the same

Democratic primary voters

63%

All voters

61%

Decreased

Democratic primary voters

13%

All voters

18%

Democratic primary voters are less likely than all registered voters to say that the war in Iraq, or removing Saddam Hussein, has been worth the costs.

They are also less likely than voters as a whole to say that the U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq now are going well, following Saddam's capture. Just under half of primary voters say the U.S. effort is going well following the arrest, while 66 percent of all American voters describe it that way.

STILL AN OPEN RACE?

Nearly three-quarters of Democratic primary voters who back a candidate today say it is still too soon to say if their choice is final, and just 25 percent say their mind is made up. This is slightly less certainty than there was in December of 1999: when the 2000 Democratic nomination fight was about to begin, 29 percent of those Democratic primary voters had made up their minds between Al Gore and Bill Bradley.

IS YOUR MIND MADE UP?

(Primary voters naming a candidate)

Yes, mind made up

25%

No, still to early to be sure

74%

RATING THE CANDIDATES

With just over one month remaining before voting begins in the Iowa caucuses, most of the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination still do not elicit much response, either good or bad, from many primary voters. Joe Lieberman, the party's Vice-Presidential nominee in 2000, is the best known, and he also has the highest favorable rating. 37 percent of Democratic primary voters hold a favorable view of him. Over half -- 56 percent -- of primary voters do not see Howard Dean either favorably or unfavorably; this includes nearly one in three who have not heard much about him at all.

VIEWS OF THE CANDIDATES

(Democratic primary voters)

Favorable

Joe Lieberman

37%

Howard Dean

33%

Wesley Clark

24%

Richard Gephardt

20%

John Kerry

22%

Al Sharpton

15%

Carol Moseley-Braun

9%

John Edwards

10%

Dennis Kucinich

7%

Unfavorable

Joe Lieberman

19%

Howard Dean

12%

Wesley Clark

10%

Richard Gephardt

13%

John Kerry

12%

Al Sharpton

35%

Carol Moseley-Braun

10%

John Edwards

9%

Dennis Kucinich

7%

Undecided or Haven't heard enough

Joe Lieberman

44%

Howard Dean

56%

Wesley Clark

66%

Richard Gephardt

67%

John Kerry

66%

Al Sharpton

50%

Carol Moseley-Braun

83%

John Edwards

80%

Dennis Kucinich

84%

Lieberman received increased attention and favorability in the days following Saddam's capture. Before the capture, Lieberman had a 25 percent favorable rating and 58 percent had no opinion of him; in the days following, Lieberman received a 37 percent favorable rating while 44 percent had no opinion of him.

Among all registered voters nationwide, Dean's favorability drops to 20 percent, while more -- 25 percent -- view him unfavorably. Gephardt and Kerry are also viewed more negatively than positively among all registered voters.

Lieberman and Clark's favorability ratings are lower among all registered voters, too, but their overall standing remains mostly positive. Lieberman is viewed favorably by 27 percent of all voters and negatively by 24 percent; Clark is viewed favorably by 17 percent and negatively by 16 percent.

ATTENTION TO THE CAMPAIGN

But voters are not paying any more attention to the campaign now than they were a month ago: 21 percent say they are paying a lot of attention, and four in ten are paying it some attention.

ATTENTION TO THE CAMPAIGN

(Registered voters)

A lot

Now

21%

Last month

20%

Some

Now

40%

Last month

41%

Not much

Now

29%

Last month

26%

None

Now

10%

Last month

13%

GORE AND DEAN

Dean's rise over the past month is apparently not only the result of Al Gore's endorsement -- though the former VP's nod has helped. One in five Democratic primary voters says they are more likely to back Dean for the nomination as a result of the endorsement, though the vast majority says Gore's support makes no difference to them.

DOES AL GORE'S ENDORSEMENT MAKE YOU…?

(Democratic primary voters)

More likely to back Dean

20%

Less likely to back Dean

9%

Makes no difference

69%

Gore's endorsement had a similar effect on Democratic voters' general feelings about Dean; most voters said it made no difference, but where the endorsement did have an impact, it was positive.

HAS AL GORE'S ENDORSEMENT MADE YOU…?

(Democratic primary voters)

Think better of Dean

20%

Think worse of Dean

4%

Makes no difference

73%

Gore is seen favorably by most -- but not all -- Democratic primary voters: 52 percent hold a favorable view of him, but 21 percent hold a negative view of their party's 2000 nominee. Among all American voters, Gore does less well: 31 percent of voters nationwide have a favorable view of him, and 46 percent have a negative view. This is lower than Gore's favorable ratings following the 2000 campaign; in November of 2000, Gore was seen favorably by 41 percent of voters.

If Dean does go on to win the Democratic nomination, 42 percent of all registered voters today say they would consider voting for him in the General Election in November, but 40 percent say they would not consider it. Currently, most Democrats would consider backing Dean, while 42 percent of Independents and 14 percent of Republicans would.

WOULD CONSIDER VOTING FOR DEAN IN NOVEMBER

(Registered voters)

Yes

All

42%

Dems

67%

Reps

14%

Ind

42%

No

All

40%

Dems

17%

Reps

74%

Ind

31%

THE NOMINEE AND THE ISSUES

Democratic primary voters are not necessarily looking for a candidate who opposed the war in Iraq -- in fact, many say the nominee's stance on the war would not matter to them. 31 percent want the party's nominee -- whoever he or she might be -- to have opposed the action in Iraq. 27 percent want a candidate who supported it, while more than one in three -- 37 percent -- say the candidate's war stance doesn't matter to them.

There was less desire for a nominee who opposed the war after the capture of Saddam: in the days prior to the capture, 40% wanted such a candidate.

WOULD YOU PREFER DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE:

(Democratic primary voters)

Supported war in Iraq

After Saddam capture

27%

Before Saddam capture

21%

9/2003

25%

Opposed war in Iraq

After Saddam capture

31%

Before Saddam capture

40%

9/2003

29%

Doesn't matter

After Saddam capture

37%

Before Saddam capture

34%

9/2003

41%

Only 21% of Democratic primary voters would like to see a nominee who supports gay marriage, while more than one-third would prefer the nominee oppose it. 41% say the candidate's stand on this issue would not matter to them.

WOULD YOU PREFER DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE:

(Democratic primary voters)

Supports gay marriage

21%

Opposes gay marriage

36%

Doesn't matter

41%

Democratic primary voters prefer someone who has Washington experience to someone who does not: 26 percent want a nominee whose experience is mostly in Washington, while 16 percent want a nominee from outside Washington. But more than half, however, say it would not matter.

WOULD YOU PREFER DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE:

(Democratic primary voters)

From outside Washington

16%

With experience mostly in Washington

26%

Doesn't matter

56%

Upbringing could matter more. More than two-thirds of Democratic primary voters believe that political leaders who grew up middle class do a better job of representing middle-class interests than do leaders who grew up wealthy. 21 percent say those who grew up wealthy can represent the middle class just as well. Among all voters, 61 percent think people who grew up middle-class can better represent the middle class.

WHO BEST REPRESENTS MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE?

(Democratic primary voters)

Leaders who grew up middle class

69%

Leaders who grew up wealthy can do it just as well

21%

Many voters don't want to hear too much about the candidate's personal life, however. Nearly half of Democratic primary voters said that political candidates, in general, spend too much time discussing their personal lives: 47 percent think so, while 37 percent say the time spent on such topics is about right.

CANDIDATES DISCUSS THEIR PERSONAL LIVES…

(Democratic primary voters)

Too much

47%

About right amount

37%

Too little

9%

VIEWS OF THE PARTIES

Overall, 52 percent of voters hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party, and 54 percent hold a favorable view of the GOP, about the same way things stood just before the 2002 midterm elections.

FAVORABLE VIEWS OF THE PARTIES

(Registered voters)

Democrat

Now

52%

10/2002

53%

Republican

Now

54%

10/2002

54%

Whoever the Democratic nominee is, he or she will lead a party that is currently seen as better able to create new jobs, but not necessarily better able to create a strong overall economy. Despite the passage of Medicare reforms by President George W. Bush and a Republican-controlled Congress, the Democrats are still seen as better able to lower the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly. But the Republican Party is overwhelmingly seen as better able to deal with terrorism and handle the rebuilding of Iraq.

WHICH PARTY IS BETTER ABLE TO…

(Registered voters)

Ensure a strong economy

Democrats

40%

Republicans

42%

Create jobs

Democrats

48%

Republicans

35%

Lower cost of RX drugs

Democrats

50%

Republicans

26%

Handling rebuilding of Iraq

Democrats

25%

Republicans

48%

Make right decisions on terrorism

Democrats

22%

Republicans

50%

The December 10-13, 2003 poll was conducted among a nationwide random sample of 1057 adults interviewed by telephone. The error due to sampling could be plus or minus three percentage points for results based on the entire sample.

For detailed information on how CBS News conducts public opinion surveys, click here.