CNN poll: If the election were today, Sanders would beat Trump and everyone else

In two periods, though, the difference between Clinton and Trump was within the poll's 3-percent margin of error.

Sanders beat Trump in three different 4-day polling periods.

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Clinton and Sanders would have a much tougher time if they went up against Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, the poll showed.

Clinton came in behind Rubio in all four polling periods, but the results were consistently within the margin of error. She came in ahead of Cruz in one of the four. The results, again, were all within the margin of error.

During the Feb. 24-27 polling period, Sanders beat Rubio and Cruz by seven points each.

In the same polling period, 55 percent of those polled found Clinton unfavorable, compared to Sanders, who received the highest approval rating in the poll at 57 percent.

Of the major candidates, Cruz came in last with a favorable rating of only 36 percent. Trump was a close second with a 37 percent favorable rating.

Those polled gave Rubio a 44 percent approval rating.

Though not a candidate, former President Bill Clinton was included in the poll and received a 56 percent favorable rating, only one point behind Sanders.

Despite Trump’s generally low ratings in the poll, he was picked as the candidate respondents believed could best handle the job as president, with 28 percent of the responses.

Clinton received 26 percent of the respondents’ vote, which is within the 3 percent margin of error.

Trump and Clinton both beat Sanders solidly – only 18 percent of the respondents believed he would be the best for the job of president.

The poll consisted of telephone interviews (land line and cellphones) with a total of 1,001 adults nationwide.

In the entire sample, 32 percent described themselves as Democrats; 29 percent described themselves as Republicans; and 39 percent described themselves as independents or members of another party.