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Poll says Iowans like Rice in '08
Quad City Times | Todd Dorman

Posted on 09/14/2005 10:18:30 PM PDT by no dems

Poll says Iowans like Rice in '08 By Todd Dorman DES MOINES — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a surprising top choice for president among Iowa Republicans, according to a poll to be released today — more than two years before the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Among 400 Republicans who said they are likely to attend the 2008 caucuses, Rice received the backing of 30.3 percent. U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was second in the survey with 16 percent, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani received support from 15.3 percent. Roughly 20 percent were undecided.

Aside from the very early horse race, the poll also found a majority of Republicans surveyed oppose federally funded research on embryonic stem cells.

The poll, conducted by Davenport-based political consulting firm Victory Enterprises, has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent. Voters were surveyed Aug. 8-10.

Steve Grubbs, a former Republican Party of Iowa chairman who heads Victory Enterprises, said he was surprised by Rice's strong showing in the poll.

"It's amazing for me to see someone who was relatively unknown three or four years ago topping the popularity list for Republicans,'' Grubbs said. "It's not your grandparents' GOP anymore.''

Rice likely benefits from high name recognition, Grubbs said. The poll found that 94.5 percent of those surveyed have heard of Rice, and 79 percent have a favorable opinion of her.

McCain, Giuliani and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich also scored over 90 percent in the name recognition department. But 33 percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable view of McCain, who skipped Iowa's caucuses in 2000.

"He's been a maverick in the party,'' Grubbs said of McCain. "It's created a lot of fans and a lot of people who aren't fans.''

Gingrich received an unfavorable rating from 24 percent. Giuliani was viewed favorably by 66 percent.

Rice so far has deflected questions about her ambitions, although the Internet is jammed with "draft Rice'' Web sites. The poll found that with Rice's name off the candidate list, McCain and Giuliani led the survey with 21.7 percent each.

On issues, the poll showed that 54 percent of Republicans surveyed believe it's a "bad idea'' for the federal government to fund medical research using embryonic stem cells. Another 32 percent supported funding and 13 percent were undecided.

Meanwhile, one political observer said the poll shows that women candidates are more accepted these days.

"She's a new face and a different face," said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University. "The good news is there's increasing acceptance for women candidates."

Bystrom said early polls show strong support among Republicans for Rice and among Democrats for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. But she said it's far too early to predict whether a historic presdiential matchup lies ahead.

"We'll see if they come to Iowa, then we'll know they're serious," Bystrom said.

Among the other poll findings were:

n 78 percent of Republicans surveyed said the federal government isn't doing enough to address illegal immigration.

n 61 percent of respondents said they vote for candidates who are "pro-life'' compared with 11.2 percent who vote "pro-choice'' and 25 percent who said the abortion issue didn't matter much to them.

n 58 percent said they vote for candidates who support the National Rifle Association and gun rights.

n 41 percent said stopping terrorism should be the No. 1 priority of the president and Congress, followed by reducing the size of government at 13.5 percent and improving the moral climate of the country at 12.3 percent. Improving schools and creating jobs scored 9 percent and 5.7 percent.

Todd Dorman can be contacted at (515) 243-0138 or at todd.dorman@lee.net.

Poll questions

Here are two questions from the Victory Enterprises survey. The list of candidates' names was rotated.

n And if you were voting today in the Iowa caucuses for the Republican nomination for president, who would you vote for if the following candidates were running?

Bill Frist 8.0 percent

George Pataki 2.8 percent

Rudy Giuliani 21.7 percent

John McCain 21.7 percent

George Allen 1.5 percent

Mitt Romney 2.2 percent

Newt Gingrich 13.8 percent

Undecided 28.3 percent

n Now I will read you a list of potential candidates for president that is slightly different. Please tell me who you would vote for if the following people were running.

Condoleezza Rice 30.3 percent

Bill Frist 3.7 percent

George Pataki 2.0 percent

Rudy Guiliani 15.3 percent

John McCain 16.0 percent

George Allen 0.7 percent

Mitt Romney 0.5 percent

Newt Gingrich 7.5 percent

Sam Brownback 1.0 percent

Haley Barbour 0.0 percent

Chuck Hagel 2.5 percent

Undecided 20.5 percent


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: allen2008; condi; georgeallen; ia2008; president2008; prezpoll; rice; rice2008
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Does anyone know if Condi is seriously considering a run?
1 posted on 09/14/2005 10:18:31 PM PDT by no dems
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To: no dems

"Pork-FRied" Rice?

I'll have a helping or two. :)


2 posted on 09/14/2005 10:21:01 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... "To remain silent when they should protest makes cowards of men." -- THOMAS JEFFERSON)
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To: no dems

i guarantee you Tom Tancredo is in that undecided hes gaining steam with his refusal to seel out and become PC, he tells it like it is


3 posted on 09/14/2005 10:21:45 PM PDT by curtisgardner
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To: NormsRevenge

Insert wheat/corn joke here


4 posted on 09/14/2005 10:21:56 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. - Patrick Henry)
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To: thoughtomator

"Pork-FiRed" Rice :) lol

G'Nite


5 posted on 09/14/2005 10:23:24 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... "To remain silent when they should protest makes cowards of men." -- THOMAS JEFFERSON)
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To: curtisgardner

I like Tancredo; I like him alot.


6 posted on 09/14/2005 10:23:42 PM PDT by no dems (43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, 2 to pull a trigger: I'm lazy and tired of smiling,)
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To: no dems
Does anyone know if Condi is seriously considering a run?

I don't think anyone knows.

Mike Huckabee is seriously considering a run, but Victory Enterprises apparently didn't include him in the poll.

7 posted on 09/14/2005 10:27:05 PM PDT by HAL9000 (Get a Mac - The Ultimate FReeping Machine)
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To: no dems

Officially she says no but then practically nobody is "officially" running yet.

8 posted on 09/14/2005 10:29:04 PM PDT by Heatseeker ("I sort of like liberals now. They’re kind of cute when they’re shivering and afraid." - Ann Coulter)
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To: no dems

RINO Rice will never make it through the caucuses.


9 posted on 09/14/2005 10:29:08 PM PDT by balch3
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To: NormsRevenge
Condi 30%
McCain 15%

All I can say is

Condi wins!!!

10 posted on 09/14/2005 10:32:32 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: Heatseeker

Bad choice. Bad button.


11 posted on 09/14/2005 10:49:12 PM PDT by Free Baptist
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To: no dems

As long as Bush gets a chance to stack the court first, I'd probably support Rice. However, her biggest negative in 08 is actually her greatest strength, her foreign policy expertise. The 08 campaign will be focused on internal issues, not terrorism or Iraq.


12 posted on 09/14/2005 11:01:23 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: no dems

She has NO interest, whatsoever, in running.


13 posted on 09/14/2005 11:04:04 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: curtisgardner

He has less chance than Pataki, who has NO chance at all.


14 posted on 09/14/2005 11:05:10 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: no dems

I wonder what Condi vs. Hillary debates would sound like.


15 posted on 09/14/2005 11:09:44 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (No wonder the Southern Baptist Church threw Greer out: Only one god per church! [Ann Coulter])
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To: HiTech RedNeck

At this stage I think she'd make a viable VP candidate but I'm not sold on the top slot for Rice...yet.
There are a few years to go....


16 posted on 09/14/2005 11:16:43 PM PDT by FlashBack (When I grow up I wanna be a coWboy.)
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To: no dems

Where is the link? Also, I cannot find this story on the website. Is it in today's edition?


17 posted on 09/14/2005 11:42:53 PM PDT by elhombrelibre (Typing from an undisclosed location.)
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To: no dems

There's a reason why Bush calls Condi "44."


18 posted on 09/14/2005 11:45:26 PM PDT by My2Cents
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To: Free Baptist

May I ask why?


19 posted on 09/14/2005 11:46:16 PM PDT by Heatseeker ("I sort of like liberals now. They’re kind of cute when they’re shivering and afraid." - Ann Coulter)
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To: Vince Ferrer
The 08 campaign will be focused on internal issues, not terrorism or Iraq.

You say that now... but theres a lonnnnnng way to go before 2008. Peace bro.

20 posted on 09/14/2005 11:46:29 PM PDT by PureSolace (God save us all)
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