2008 GOP Primary: Giuliani 26% Rice 24% McCain 21% (Rasmussen)

Rasmussen Reports ^ | November 13, 2005

[RWR8189]

November 12, 2005--Unlike the Democrats, there is no clear frontrunner for the Republican Party's 2008 Presidential nomination.

Three candidates, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Senator John McCain all are favored by more than 20% of GOP voters. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist are the only other Republicans to reach the 5% level of support.

McCain is the leader among the minority of Republicans with an unfavorable opinion of George W. Bush.

If the three leading candidates do not run, "Not Sure" takes over the Republican lead at 30%. In that scenario, Gingrich is the top choice for 27% of Republicans and Frist is next at 11%.

Senator Chuck Hagel, Senator George Allen, and Congressman Tom Tancredo were also included in the survey. None of them reached the 5% level of support.

A plurality of Rice supporters favor Gingrich if the Secretary of State is not in the running. A plurality of both the McCain and Giuliani supporters move to the Not Sure category.

New York Governor George Pataki attracts more of Giuliani's vote than any other Republican.

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A separate survey conducted earlier this year found both McCain and Giuliani leading the Democrat's frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

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Rasmussen Reports was the nation's most accurate polling firm during the Presidential election and the only one to project both Bush and Kerry's vote total within half a percentage point of the actual outcome.

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[skr]

But there is no more reason to trust him on this issue than there is on any other.

Agreed.

[thoughtomator]

It's fully justified by her actions in her role at State with respect to Israel. How dare she tell Israel that it has to modify its behavior to accommodate the world's most virulent terrorists!

[caryatid]

He may be a wishy washy, glory hounding RINO today, I'm not going to hate on his time in Hanoi.

I have absolutely no hatred for John McCain. I honor the service and sacrifice of John McCain and every other serviceman/woman who has ever served. I regret that McCain and others suffered and/or died in the service of his/her country.

That said, McCain has traded shamelessly on his service/captivity 'til the cows come home in some of the most egregious self-aggrandisement and revoltingly greedy ambition I have seen.

From his last campaign:
Presidential candidate John McCain is being hailed by the press as a genuine "American war hero" and says he has the medals to prove it.

For 5 ½ years as a POW (three of which he says were spent in solitary confinement), the U.S. Navy awarded McCain a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars, two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a dozen service medals.

Former POW McCain claims his experience as a prisoner of the communists better qualifies him to be President of the United States [than others]. He has forged that experience along with his military record deeply into his campaign.

McCain's service/captivity/suffering, alone, is not a qualification for the presidency. This isn't Hanoi ... and I do not believe McCain is qualified or temperamentally well suited to become president. Regardless of how nobly he may have suffered, the presidency is not an automatic entitlement for that suffering. The above cited medals/awards [note there is no CMOH] were his ample reward and recognition for his service/captivity.

Now, if you see this as "hatred" of McCain, so be it.

[Sabramerican]

She looks better in boots then Albright so if the race ever comes down between those two, Rice gets my vote. Or I'll write in Tyra Banks.

[freespirited]

Say 5% of Americans would never vote for a woman. I refuse to believe the number is that high.

You must have missed the Marist poll posted here the other day. The number was much higher than that. If I remember correctly 28% of respondents said they would be unlikely to vote for a woman in 2008 regardless of whether she was a Democrat or Republican.

I think the challenge is to find a Margaret Thatcher. Right now neither party has one.

P.S. I think it was a Marist poll but it might have been Gallup. Posted sometime in the last couple weeks.

[caryatid]

Rice would get crushed.

That's why the dems are promoting her so desperately. They really want it to be a woman/woman race ... to neutralize the disadvantage of being a woman candidate.

---

Okay. Feminists everywhere: you need not reply ... it is simply an honest analysis ... save your knee jerk anger for somewhere that it might do some good.

[caryatid]

I think the challenge is to find a Margaret Thatcher. Right now neither party has one.

Alas, I fear that you are correct. Give us a Lady Thatcher and I will vote for a woman every time.

[freespirited]

Hillary Clinton is one of the most divisive figures in American politics. Of the states you listed, I couldn't see her carrying any of them, against almost any GOP candidate.

Your question--what red states she could carry--has been on my mind too. My best guess has been that she would choose Bill Richardson as her running mate and try to pick off New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Iowa.

This strategy assumes that she would hold on to all the blue states. But would she? Kerry barely won Wisconsin and Minnesota. If we have a strong candidate, I don't see why we should assume that the GOP is destined to lose those states and Penna.

[justshutupandtakeit]

That poll sounds about right i.e. what I would guess.

[GSlob]

Rumsfeld would make an excellent president.

[Democratshavenobrains]

The Executive can't ban abortion anyway. The most they can do is appoint judges. I'd rather have Giuliani than some pro-life big spender.

[teenyelliott]

While I agree with you, I don't think the sheeple would see it.

[BillyBoy]

McCain... Fairly good voting record, but backstabber and arrogant media whore. Too old, too (and looks the part)

Giuliani....Yes, he should beat Hillary... for the SENATE in 2006! Too liberal to be nominated nationwide.

Condi... Good SOS, but being pro-abort and pro-illegal aliens makes her lousy presidential material.

Ugh...if the best we can do is the three "front-runners" I opt for none of the above.

Alot of freepers have gone ga-ga over George Allen too. George is a good guy but should stick to doing his job as Senator, and Virgina Republicans should try to figure out to take control of their own "conservative" state before touting their guys for the white house. As it stands, running a U.S. Senator from an average sized "safe" GOP state is Barry Goldwater/Bob Dole redux. We barely won the last two elections running a "compassionate conservative" Governor, running a Senator from GOP, Inc. just eggs on the Dems to run Mark Warner and cancel out all our support. Ditto with Mike Pence. Good guy, good congressman, and he should try for a statewide office before taking a stab at the highest office in the land.

There is no clear leader in the field as of right now. Someone needs to step out there and fill a void. My recommendations:

FOR PRESIDENT
Tim Pawlenty
Governor of Minnesota

Timothy Pawlenty is the 39th and current Governor of Minnesota, and started his term on January 6, 2003. His wife, Mary Pawlenty, is a district judge in Dakota County. Although Pawlenty was raised as a Roman Catholic, he converted to Protestantism as an adult. Pawlenty earned his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Minnesota. He served Minnesotas first as a prosecutor and then as Eagan City Council member. Pawlenty served 10 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives, including four as House Majority Leader In 1994, Pawlenty was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where in 1999, he was elevated by his collengues to the position of Majority Leader when Republicans gained control of the House in 1999. As Majority Leader, Pawlenty was instrumental in pushing through the package of Governor Jesse Ventura's tax cuts. Tim Pawlenty had originally planned to seek the US Senate seat in 2002. However, this plan was derailed by a stern message from Vice President Dick Cheney, who asked him to step aside to allow Norm Coleman to challenge Paul Wellstone without primary opposition. Coleman went on to win the nomination and election. Pawlenty then decided to run for governor, which he explained was the job he always wanted. He campaigned on a pledge not to raise taxes to balance the state's budget deficit. He also supported requiring visa expiration dates on driver's licenses, a 24 hour waiting period on abortions, implementing the state's conceal-carry gun law and changing the state's education requirements. He was elected Governor of Minnesota in 2002, with the state facing an historic $4.5 billion budget deficit. Just months later, the Legislature adopted Pawlenty's plan to eliminate the deficit without raising taxes or cutting funding for K-12 classrooms. In addition to balancing the budget, Governor Pawlenty fought for and passed a dramatic overhaul of the state's education standards, significant welfare reform, lawsuit reform, a range of new government efficiency initiatives, and passed the largest transportation package in modern history. Pawlenty has also outlined an aggressive agenda, including a nation-leading effort to make affordable prescription medicine available to citizens.

FOR VICE PRESIDENT
Tom Tancredo
Congressman from Colorado

Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo has been a U.S. Congressman since 1999, representing the 6th District of Colorado. He has been known for his outspoken leadership and independacne in immigration reform and home schooling. Tom Tancredo was born in Denver. He graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in political science. In 1976, while teaching history at Drake Junior High School in Denver, he took up a bluff by his students to run for office if volunteered for his campaign. Tancredo ran for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives and won. He served two terms, and was one of the ringleaders of a group of conservative Republican legislators that was onced called "House crazies" by Governor Dick Lamm for their committment to a balenced budget. Despite that comment, Lamm now shares Tancredo's passionate interest in immigration matters, and has frequently appeared with Tancredo to speak against current immigration policy. President Ronald Reagan appointed Tancredo as regional representative for the Department of Education. He stayed on through the first Bush administration, paring the office's staff to 60 employees, down from 225 when he arrived. In 1993, he became president of the Independence Institute, a conservative think tank based in Golden, Colorado, serving there until his election to Congress. In 1998, Tancredo won both the primary and general elction to succeed Congressman Dan Schaefer becoming only the second person to represent the 6th District since its creation in 1983. In May 1999, Tancredo founded the House Immigration Reform Caucus. He still serves as its chairman. This caucus focuses on reviewing immigration policy and implementing significant reforms that have been overlooked by the federal government. Tancredo founded a political action committee named Team America, and continues to work strongly for its goals, though he had to resign as Chairman after founding it due to in order to collect contributions for immigration-restrictionist inclined congressional representatives and candidates to a campaign finance law.

[moog]

It ain't going to be either of these three.

That sounds like a Yogi Berra quote.

[moog]

In my humble opinion, that issue trumps every other at this time. If we don't win this one, all of the other issues are moot.

I have to agree with that. It's surprising to me that more people don't realize that.

[skinkinthegrass]

Rice = too anti-Semitic

..On what basis, do you make that charge? ...just asking...hope you aren't a Klintoon/DU disruptor.

[skinkinthegrass]

If the dems were smart they would... but are they smart?

I pity Warner, If He's elected in 08' w/ Shrillary as VP. Secret Service would have their hands full w/ Shrillary "Supporters"... the time-honored, "Arkansas Dirt Nap/Arkancide/Fosterized" will be her only way to the WH/Oval Office, while "shedding Crocodiles' tears."

[skinkinthegrass]

We need a candidate that we can rally around, and support him because we support him, not because of his opponent.

True, Like Reagan did.

[skinkinthegrass]

[ LOL, I just imagined Ann Coulter as POTUS :-D. ] No TV show could possible be as good... ..Washington D.C. bureaucrats would be persona non grata anywhere NEAR the White House.. The day after inauguration would be called black Monday by the liberals.. both democrat and republican ones..

LOL! All that and more..Think of the first 4 Press Conferences, the JOY! ...LMSM WILL SHREIK like He!! :D