Bradley in DC
06-03-2007, 07:57 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060201255_pf.html
Clinton, Giuliani Maintain Leads, But GOP Shows Signs of Shifting
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 3, 2007; A04
. . . Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani remains the leader in the GOP race, but the poll suggests that the surge in support he received after declaring his candidacy has stalled and that his backing of abortion rights and gay rights has caused more Republicans to turn away from him.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona runs second in the GOP race, but the poll results raise questions about his candidacy. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who has spent millions on television ads already this year, has in some ways become an attractive alternative over the past few months, and former senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee shows the potential to quickly make the GOP contest a four-way battle . . .
A first-blush look at the Post-ABC News poll suggests no dramatic change in the two races, despite five months of intensive campaigning on both sides. But the findings underscore potential volatility on both sides as well as the obstacles facing many of the serious contenders.
In the Republican race, Giuliani leads the field with 34 percent, followed by McCain at 20 percent, Thompson at 13 percent and Romney at 10 percent. No other Republican receives more than 2 percent. Those results showed no significant change since the last poll in April.
. . . Giuliani's leadership qualities appeal to Republicans. A majority of Republicans said he is the strongest leader, the most inspiring, the person they would most trust to handle a crisis and the candidate with the best chance of winning a general election.
McCain had a narrow advantage as the candidate with the best experience to be president, while Giuliani was judged to best understand "the problems of people like you." Republicans in the survey were nearly equally likely to see McCain and Giuliani as the most honest and trustworthy.
In several of these measures, however, Giuliani slipped from a February poll that asked similar questions. His standing as the most inspiring candidate dropped 12 percentage points between then and the most recent poll, his support as the candidate who best understands people's problems dropped 11 points, and his standing as the strongest leader dropped eight percentage points.
Giuliani encountered turbulence over the abortion issue after the first GOP debate a month ago. In response he offered a statement affirming his support for abortion rights while making clear his personal opposition to abortion.
The high-profile discussion of his views on social issues may prove costly, according to the poll. Half of Republicans say those views make them less likely to support Giuliani.
While that percentage is not significantly different than it was in February, opposition to him has hardened among many of those Republicans. Two-thirds of those who expressed concern about his positions on social issues said in this poll that there is no chance they would support him for the nomination. Overall, the percentage of Republicans who definitely would not support Giuliani has risen from less than a quarter to one-third.
Romney's gains are small but perceptible. His national standing overall has not changed since the February Post-ABC News poll, but on many attributes he is seen more positively than he was then. While he continues to trail Giuliani and McCain on these measures, the percentages who see him as the strongest leader of the three, as the one who best understands their problems and as the most inspiring have all doubled.
But Romney's religious affiliation continues to present an obstacle to his candidacy. Thirty percent of Republicans said they are less likely to support a candidate for president who is Mormon -- a number unchanged from February.
Republicans judged McCain as less viable in a general election in the new poll than they did three months ago, denting what had been seen by his advisers as one of his most effective weapons in the fight for the GOP nod.
Clinton, Giuliani Maintain Leads, But GOP Shows Signs of Shifting
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 3, 2007; A04
. . . Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani remains the leader in the GOP race, but the poll suggests that the surge in support he received after declaring his candidacy has stalled and that his backing of abortion rights and gay rights has caused more Republicans to turn away from him.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona runs second in the GOP race, but the poll results raise questions about his candidacy. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who has spent millions on television ads already this year, has in some ways become an attractive alternative over the past few months, and former senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee shows the potential to quickly make the GOP contest a four-way battle . . .
A first-blush look at the Post-ABC News poll suggests no dramatic change in the two races, despite five months of intensive campaigning on both sides. But the findings underscore potential volatility on both sides as well as the obstacles facing many of the serious contenders.
In the Republican race, Giuliani leads the field with 34 percent, followed by McCain at 20 percent, Thompson at 13 percent and Romney at 10 percent. No other Republican receives more than 2 percent. Those results showed no significant change since the last poll in April.
. . . Giuliani's leadership qualities appeal to Republicans. A majority of Republicans said he is the strongest leader, the most inspiring, the person they would most trust to handle a crisis and the candidate with the best chance of winning a general election.
McCain had a narrow advantage as the candidate with the best experience to be president, while Giuliani was judged to best understand "the problems of people like you." Republicans in the survey were nearly equally likely to see McCain and Giuliani as the most honest and trustworthy.
In several of these measures, however, Giuliani slipped from a February poll that asked similar questions. His standing as the most inspiring candidate dropped 12 percentage points between then and the most recent poll, his support as the candidate who best understands people's problems dropped 11 points, and his standing as the strongest leader dropped eight percentage points.
Giuliani encountered turbulence over the abortion issue after the first GOP debate a month ago. In response he offered a statement affirming his support for abortion rights while making clear his personal opposition to abortion.
The high-profile discussion of his views on social issues may prove costly, according to the poll. Half of Republicans say those views make them less likely to support Giuliani.
While that percentage is not significantly different than it was in February, opposition to him has hardened among many of those Republicans. Two-thirds of those who expressed concern about his positions on social issues said in this poll that there is no chance they would support him for the nomination. Overall, the percentage of Republicans who definitely would not support Giuliani has risen from less than a quarter to one-third.
Romney's gains are small but perceptible. His national standing overall has not changed since the February Post-ABC News poll, but on many attributes he is seen more positively than he was then. While he continues to trail Giuliani and McCain on these measures, the percentages who see him as the strongest leader of the three, as the one who best understands their problems and as the most inspiring have all doubled.
But Romney's religious affiliation continues to present an obstacle to his candidacy. Thirty percent of Republicans said they are less likely to support a candidate for president who is Mormon -- a number unchanged from February.
Republicans judged McCain as less viable in a general election in the new poll than they did three months ago, denting what had been seen by his advisers as one of his most effective weapons in the fight for the GOP nod.