Analyst: GOP presidential poll shows indecision among primary voters
Jim Brown
OneNewsNow.com
July 23, 2007
If the Republican presidential primary were a multiple-choice quiz, the answer would be "none of the above." That's according to a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll.
The poll states that 23 percent of likely GOP primary voters are not saying whom they will support in 2008. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is polling at 21 percent, which gives him a narrow two-point lead over former Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee), who has yet to officially enter the race. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) is at 15 percent, while former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is at 11 percent.
Political analyst Genevieve Wood of the Heritage Foundation believes Republican voters are more undecided than dissatisfied. "This is the first time in a long time, certainly since I can remember, that you have this many legitimate first-tier, frontrunner-type of candidates. Primaries are six months away -- why make people pick now?" questions Wood.
Wood contends most voters are still evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the top-tier candidates.
"I think it's difficult for people who haven't really studied them, who haven't lined up early against one candidate, to now say all of a sudden, 'Oh, it's Thompson over McCain' or 'It's Romney over Giuliani,'" says Wood.
Wood acknowledges that there might be some differences between the candidates -- on the hot button issue of abortion, for example. "But each of them has a strong suit that I think make people take a second look," the analyst observes. She says voters who lined up early behind Giuliani and Romney are now contemplating whether to throw their support behind Thompson.
At this point, Wood believes the race is wide open -- and that, she adds, is a good thing for hopefuls like former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), who have enough funding and name recognition to stay in the race. As she puts it: "It is not clear who's going to come away with this."
OneNewsNow.com
July 23, 2007
If the Republican presidential primary were a multiple-choice quiz, the answer would be "none of the above." That's according to a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll.
The poll states that 23 percent of likely GOP primary voters are not saying whom they will support in 2008. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is polling at 21 percent, which gives him a narrow two-point lead over former Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee), who has yet to officially enter the race. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) is at 15 percent, while former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is at 11 percent.
Political analyst Genevieve Wood of the Heritage Foundation believes Republican voters are more undecided than dissatisfied. "This is the first time in a long time, certainly since I can remember, that you have this many legitimate first-tier, frontrunner-type of candidates. Primaries are six months away -- why make people pick now?" questions Wood.
Wood contends most voters are still evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the top-tier candidates.
"I think it's difficult for people who haven't really studied them, who haven't lined up early against one candidate, to now say all of a sudden, 'Oh, it's Thompson over McCain' or 'It's Romney over Giuliani,'" says Wood.
Wood acknowledges that there might be some differences between the candidates -- on the hot button issue of abortion, for example. "But each of them has a strong suit that I think make people take a second look," the analyst observes. She says voters who lined up early behind Giuliani and Romney are now contemplating whether to throw their support behind Thompson.
At this point, Wood believes the race is wide open -- and that, she adds, is a good thing for hopefuls like former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), who have enough funding and name recognition to stay in the race. As she puts it: "It is not clear who's going to come away with this."
posted by Mark G Pogue at 11:04 PM
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