Posted on 06/18/2007 12:50:51 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani, John McCain (news, bio, voting record) and Mitt Romney dominate the 10-man field for the Republican presidential nomination, with Fred Thompson threatening to roil an unsettled race.
Rare circumstances serve as the backdrop.
The sitting Republican president and party standard-bearer, George W. Bush, has abysmal job-performance ratings. Vice President Dick Cheney doesn't want the job and there's no natural heir, a significant departure for a party that historically has nominated the next in line.
The result is one of the most fluid GOP races in half a century.
Giuliani, a former New York mayor; McCain, an Arizona senator; and Romney, an ex-governor of Massachusetts, are the strongest contenders. They lead the field in organization, endorsements and money.
But Thompson, the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor, casts an enormous shadow and placed a close third behind Giuliani and McCain in a recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll. All but certain to enter the race, he's become a favorite of conservatives who are underwhelmed with the current field.
Underdog candidates — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record) and five other long-shots — are looking to catch fire in certain states.
The Iraq war, immigration, terrorism and abortion are the hottest issues.
To win, a candidate must collect a majority of delegates — 1,255 to be exact. That number, like the date of each state's contest and the delegate allotments, is in flux. Voting begins in January.
| State | Rank | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2nd [Guiliani] 2nd [Guiliani] 2nd [Guiliani] |
USA Today/Gallup Harris NBC/WSJ |
6/19 6/14 6/13 |
| CA | 2nd (tie) [Guiliani, McCain] | Survey USA | 6/4 |
| FL | 2nd [Guiliani] 1st |
Insider Advanatge Datmar |
6/11 5/23 |
| IA | 2nd [Romney] | Public Policy Polling | 6/4 |
| NC | 1st | Public Policy Polling | 6/7 |
| NH | 4th [Romney, Guiliani, McCain] 4th [Romney, Guiliani, McCain] 4th [Romney, Guiliani, McCain] |
University of New Hampshire Survey Center Mason Dixon Franklin Pierce College |
6/12 6/8 6/6 |
| SC | 1st 1st |
Mason Dixon Public Policy Polling |
6/17 6/4 |
| WA | 3rd [Guiliani, McCain] | Survey USA | 5/3 |
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.