Posted on 10/08/2007 12:07:06 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Fred Thompson has a slight lead over Republican rival Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton has an apparent edge over fellow Democrats John Edwards and Barack Obama in the race in Colorado for the White House, according to a poll released Friday.
The Ciruli Associates Poll suggested Thompson had 27 percent support among Republicans to 19 percent for Giuliani and 11 percent for John McCain.
Some 29 percent of Democrats said they supported Clinton, compared to 23 percent each for Edwards and Obama, the poll said. Remaining candidates, including Republican Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, were in the single digits.
The telephone poll of 504 registered voters was conducted Sept. 12-15 and has a margin or error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. It was conducted as part of a survey on economic development sponsored by the Economic Development Council of Colorado, a statewide, nonprofit organization formed to attract business.
Ciruli said 70 percent of Democrats polled said they were satisfied with their field of candidates, compared to 60 percent of Republicans.
"This no doubt partially reflects Democrats' views that 2008 will be a good year for them. Their candidates may also be doing a better job appealing to their core constituents than the Republicans at this point in the campaign," Ciruli said.
None of the front-runners have spent much time in Colorado, but state party leaders said Friday they expect that to change after Colorado moved up its nonbinding presidential caucuses to Feb. 5.
State Republican Party chairman Dick Wadhams said most of the candidates who have visited Colorado spent their time fundraising instead of setting up organizing committees to recruit the party faithful and get them to the caucuses, where a presidential preference poll will be taken. He said that will change, now that both parties are taking their own preference polls.
Thompson and Clinton have slight leads in Colorado because most voters here are reacting to national trends, Wadhams said.
State Democratic Party chair Pat Waak said she expects more candidates to campaign in Colorado in the next few months, including Clinton, who told state party officials on Friday she expects to be here later this month.
Waak said she hopes candidates hold public functions when they come to Colorado and aren't just here to raise money.
"We need something for the rank and file," she said.
In Colorado, precinct caucuses to be held Feb. 5 select delegates to county conventions, which in turn select delegates to local and national conventions. Delegates to the national conventions will not be chosen until May or June, when local assemblies are held.
Supporters of Colorado's Byzantine system say candidates will come to Colorado to show they have momentum. For Democrats holding their national convention in Denver next year, there will be pressure to show they have support in the host state.
LLS
The top 10 reasons why Fred Thompson should be the Republican nominee:
10. Because a review of Fred Dalton Thompson’s voting record shows that he consistently voted for gun owners (the NRA called him a “staunch supporter of the Second Amendment”), against abortion, for business, against higher taxes, for a balanced budget, for a strong defense, for ANWR drilling, for capping foreign aid, for free trade, for private property rights, for personal retirement accounts, for the Iraq War Resolution and for welfare reform.
9. Because, among his interest group ratings, Sen. Thompson earned a perfect zero from National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action, a perfect 100% from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, only 11% from the ACLU, 85% from the American Conservative Union, 86% from the Center for Security Policy, a perfect zero from the American Federation of Teachers, 6% from the National Education Association, 90% from the League of Private Property Voters, 97% from the National Tax Limitation committee, 88% from the National Taxpayers Union and a perfect zero from the liberal ADA. In a 1995 analysis, Project Vote Smart listed Thompson as having supported Contract With America items 100% of the time. The Club for Growth has just released a a report in which Club President Pat Toomey concludes, “Fred Thompson’s eight-year record is generally pro-growth with an excellent record on entitlement reform and school choice and a very good record on taxes, regulation, and trade. His belief in a limited federal government is demonstrated by his numerous votes against government intrusion in the private sector and increased federal spending. His fondness for Tennessee pork aside, Thompson consistently voted against increased spending and new government projects, at times, one of only a handful of senators to do so.”
8. Because under his Chairmanship, Sen. Thompson’s Governmental Affairs Committee actively pursued an agenda aimed at producing a smaller, more efficient, and more accountable government. Of his efforts, the Kingsport Times-News wrote, “Sen. Thompson is to be applauded for keeping a watchful eye over Washington fiscal matters. There should be more like him.” Chairman Thompson held hearings on improving the federal regulatory process; reforming the IRS; exploring ways to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse; and a number of national security issues, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies. Thompson also investigated and successfully enacted solutions to information management problems such as government computer security.
7. Because as a member of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance, Thompson focused on reducing taxes, reforming the tax code to make it simpler and fairer, and restoring the Social Security and Medicare programs to long-term solvency. He advocated a balanced approach to trade and national security and pushed for an export control policy that protects our country’s national security without unnecessarily burdening American industry with bureaucratic red tape. He also proposed legislation to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by China and other countries and to strengthen the United States’ response to such activities.
6. Because when Thompson makes the rare mistake, he admits it and learns from it. Though he’s rightly still not comfortable with the idea of people giving large sums of money to legislators and then coming before their committees to ask for the government’s favor, FDT has owned up to the fact that that McCain Feingold was a poor attempt to solve the problem of influence peddling and just plain old bribery. He’s learned that full disclosure might just be the best way to deal with the probelm. Fred has also admitted that his vote for the immigration reform measure which President Reagan signed in 1986 created an additional 12 to 20 million illegals. He’s learned from that and has grown much tougher on the issue, advocating the securing of our borders before anything else is done and the deportation of illegals when they are captured.
5. Because Fred Thompson has been committed to federalist principles his entire political career and has brought federalism to the forefront of the current political dialogue. He has also been a voice in the wilderness speaking out about the coming entitlement and national debt crisis, calling for a frank discussion of how we must deal with it. Thompson stands apart from the other major Republican presidential candidates who have been for the most part silent on these issues.
4. Because Sen. Thompson has the admiration and respect of his former colleagues on the hill. As president, he would have the best chance of all the candidates to get the congressional cooperation required to advance his agenda. FDT has demonstrated this kind of leadership with his very successful shepherding of John Roberts through the political minefield that is the U.S. Senate.
3. Because he scares the devil out of leftists. Even the liberal Washington Monthly in a 1999 hit piece had to begrudgingly admit that as a Senator, Thompson worked hard to keep his campaign promises. Democratic strategist Bob Beckel revealed, in a discussion on Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes program, that Fred Thompson for president would be their “worst nightmare” because of his communications skills and ability to appeal to swing voters. Many backers of Fred’s GOP opponents attack him even more viciously than the Democrats do because he poses a major threat to their candidates now that he’s in the race.
2. Because he doesn’t scare independents and Reagan Democrats. Like Reagan, Thompson is that rare sort of conservative who can sell conservative ideas to moderates and independents. And again like Reagan, he may be the only potential candidate who can unite the factions of the Republican Party right now. No, Fred isn’t Ronald Reagan, and he’s the first one to say it. But he is one of Reagan’s smartest students and most consistent disciples who has the same kind of media-savvy and commanding presence. Also like Reagan, Fred Thompson is much more than “just an actor.”
1. Because he will beat Hillary Clinton like a rented mule.
I particularly like #1!!!!!!!!!
LLS
Since when is 8 points a slight lead?
“Since when is 8 points a slight lead?”
When the lead exists for a Republican that the msm hates.
LLS
Ping!
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