Poll: Giuliani Is Most Popular Politician

Obama, McCain, Rice, Bill Clinton Also Score High; President Bush Ranks 15th Of 20

(CBS/AP)  Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani finished first in a national popularity poll asking Americans to rate their feelings about 20 political leaders.

Two others mulling 2008 presidential bids, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, were second and third, respectively, in the poll released Monday by Quinnipiac University.

Quinnipiac's "thermometer reading," taken the week after the Nov. 7 election, asked voters to rate their feelings for 20 leaders on a scale of 0 to 100.

Giuliani, a Republican, scored the highest at 64.2. Obama and McCain, who are also considering a 2008 campaign, finished next at 58.8 and 57.7.

"As we enter the presidential campaign of 2008, Giuliani and McCain are in enviable positions," said Peter Brown, assistant poll director. "They are well-regarded and most Americans are quite familiar with them. Obama's showing is impressive, but four in 10 Americans still don't know enough about him to have an opinion."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was fourth in the poll, far ahead of her boss, President Bush, who was the 15th most popular national leader. Mr. Bush finished just behind the man he defeated in the 2000 presidential race, former Vice President Al Gore.

Former President Bill Clinton finished fifth in the poll, while his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was ninth with a score of 49. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee who was roundly criticized before the election for suggesting that students who don't study could end up stuck in Iraq, came in last at 39.6.

Kerry later apologized for what he said was a botched joke.

Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who lost the Democratic primary before winning re-election as an independent, ranked sixth with a score of 52.7.

Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, in line to become the next House Speaker, improved her standing, moving from last to 12th in a few weeks. The next Senate Majority leader, Democrat Harry Reid, was 19th.

The telephone poll was conducted from Nov. 13-19. Quinnipiac surveyed 1,623 registered voters nationwide and the poll has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

Here's how they finished:

1. Rudolph Giuliani, former New York City mayor, 64.2

2. Barack Obama, Illinois senator, 58.8

3. John McCain, Arizona senator, 57.7

4. Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, 56.1

5. Bill Clinton, former president, 55.8

6. Joseph Lieberman, Connecticut senator 52.7

7. Michael Bloomberg, New York City mayor, 51.1

8. John Edwards, former North Carolina senator, 49.9

9. Hillary Clinton, New York senator 49.0

10. Bill Richardson, New Mexico governor 47.7

11. Joseph Biden, Delaware senator 47.0

12. Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House speaker, 46.9

13. Mitt Romney, Massachusetts governor, 45.9

14. Al Gore, former vice president, 44.9

15. President George Bush, 43.8

16. Evan Bayh, Indiana senator, 43.3

17. Newt Gingrich, former House speaker, 42.0

18. Bill Frist, Tennessee senator, 41.5

19. Harry Reid, Nevada senator, 41.2

20. John Kerry, Massachusetts senator, 39.6



©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Add a Comment See all 15 Comments

by olebd November 28, 2006 11:08 AM PST

Run, run Rudloph!!

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by frankly6 November 28, 2006 11:29 AM PST

If you find bushrocks1 constant spamming of these boards disruptive, just click on "report this comment" below his post and report it.

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by frankly6 November 28, 2006 11:44 AM PST

What's amazing here is that Obama, a relative newcomer in American politics, is in second place.

Reply to this comment

by frankly6 November 28, 2006 11:48 AM PST

If you find bushrocks1 constant spamming of these boards disruptive, just click on "report this comment" below his post and report it.

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by cathaleen November 28, 2006 12:08 PM PST

Rudy did a great job in NYC. I don't know if could handle a country than again.
By the way, where did the homeless go in NYC?

Reply to this comment

by nolalou November 28, 2006 2:40 PM PST

ozilot,

None of these people have said they are running for president, the are just the ones who came up on top in a telephone poll! So you're not going to vote for someone just because some pollster asked about them?

Besides, if a candidate for president waited until 6 months before the election, they would be too late! All the fund raising and origanization to win in the primaries happens way in advance. And don't forget, the 1st primary is just over a year from now!

Reply to this comment

by aeasus November 28, 2006 3:15 PM PST

How about George Clooney? He has some acting experience!!!

Reply to this comment

by stinkman66 November 28, 2006 3:22 PM PST

There are actually some decent people on this list, at least by my standards: Rudy, Obama, McCain, Richardson, and Bayh

Reply to this comment

by agnim November 28, 2006 7:31 PM PST

This is such a joke; a guy who can't even manage a woman and a family is thought of as being able to manage a country of millions of families?

Seems as if Americans haven't learn much by our twice electing/allowing a certified idiot as their leader and are suffering the negative consequences.

Who is paying for these propaganda polls? Tsk-tsk.

Reply to this comment

by jw218389 November 28, 2006 8:27 PM PST

Where's JEBidiah Bush? I'll bet they left him out to avoid embarrassing Dumbya...

I still don't like either one and Ice Cube says, " A bird in the hand is worth more than a BUSH!"

Great song BTW...

Reply to this comment

by tibu987 November 28, 2006 8:47 PM PST

Good, if the Repubs can put up Giuliani as their best candidate, the dems will win for sure.
But, do the Dems want Hillary and Obama, I think not.
It will be interesting.

Reply to this comment

by fascistusa November 28, 2006 11:05 PM PST

Who cares which PUPPET the Fascists plan on putting in next?

Two party system is a joke on us.

Democracy is DEAD. The Government represents the RICH and the RICH ONLY.

Reply to this comment

by glidescube November 28, 2006 11:27 PM PST

Rudy has my vote. If he runs with McCain as a running mate I dont think teh Demos wil have a chance. Obama is okay but a black that has a name that look like Osama is not going to get the votes in the South.

Reply to this comment

by fallngempire November 29, 2006 12:31 AM PST

-I- think they are.

Reply to this comment

by aeasus November 29, 2006 11:28 AM PST

A 9-11 tragedy....

"Officials in the mayor's office declined to reply to written and oral requests for comment over a three- day period about who decided to recycle the steel and the concern that the decision might be handicapping the investigation.."

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[olebd]

Run, run Rudloph!!

[frankly6]

If you find bushrocks1 constant spamming of these boards disruptive, just click on "report this comment" below his post and report it.

[frankly6]

What's amazing here is that Obama, a relative newcomer in American politics, is in second place.

[frankly6]

If you find bushrocks1 constant spamming of these boards disruptive, just click on "report this comment" below his post and report it.

[cathaleen]

Rudy did a great job in NYC. I don't know if could handle a country than again.
By the way, where did the homeless go in NYC?

[nolalou]

ozilot,

None of these people have said they are running for president, the are just the ones who came up on top in a telephone poll! So you're not going to vote for someone just because some pollster asked about them?

Besides, if a candidate for president waited until 6 months before the election, they would be too late! All the fund raising and origanization to win in the primaries happens way in advance. And don't forget, the 1st primary is just over a year from now!

[aeasus]

How about George Clooney? He has some acting experience!!!

[stinkman66]

There are actually some decent people on this list, at least by my standards: Rudy, Obama, McCain, Richardson, and Bayh

[agnim]

This is such a joke; a guy who can't even manage a woman and a family is thought of as being able to manage a country of millions of families?

Seems as if Americans haven't learn much by our twice electing/allowing a certified idiot as their leader and are suffering the negative consequences.

Who is paying for these propaganda polls? Tsk-tsk.

[jw218389]

Where's JEBidiah Bush? I'll bet they left him out to avoid embarrassing Dumbya...

I still don't like either one and Ice Cube says, " A bird in the hand is worth more than a BUSH!"

Great song BTW...

[tibu987]

Good, if the Repubs can put up Giuliani as their best candidate, the dems will win for sure.
But, do the Dems want Hillary and Obama, I think not.
It will be interesting.

[fascistusa]

Who cares which PUPPET the Fascists plan on putting in next?

Two party system is a joke on us.

Democracy is DEAD. The Government represents the RICH and the RICH ONLY.

[glidescube]

Rudy has my vote. If he runs with McCain as a running mate I dont think teh Demos wil have a chance. Obama is okay but a black that has a name that look like Osama is not going to get the votes in the South.

[fallngempire]

-I- think they are.

[aeasus]

A 9-11 tragedy....

"Officials in the mayor's office declined to reply to written and oral requests for comment over a three- day period about who decided to recycle the steel and the concern that the decision might be handicapping the investigation.."