Poll: Giuliani Leads McCain For GOP Nod

Senator John McCain of Arizona and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani – two of the front-runners for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008 – both enjoy favorable views from both Republican primary voters, a new CBS News poll finds, but early on in the race, voters favor Giuliani in a head-to-head match up.

Views of Giuliani are especially positive among both moderates and the conservatives that he and McCain are courting.

Voters planning to take part in a Republican primary next year think both McCain and Giuliani share their values, but would currently prefer Giuliani over McCain if the nomination fight came down to just the two of them.

PREFERENCE IF GOP NOMINATION WERE JUST MCCAIN V. GIULIANI (Among Republican Primary Voters)

Giuliani
50%
McCain
21%
Neither
13%

Both moderate and conservative primary voters say they would prefer Giuliani. Forty-eight percent of conservative voters said they would vote for Giuliani, while 21% of conservatives said they favored McCain.

Both men have been the subject of questions over how their personalities and styles of governance, as well as issue positions, might help or hinder their chances. In the poll, both are seen as having the right kind of temperament and personality to be President.

MCCAIN'S QUALITIES (Among Republican Primary Voters)

Has the right temperament to be president...
Yes
59%
No
21%

Shares your values...
Yes
60%
No
20%


GIULIANI'S QUALITIES (Among Republican Primary Voters)

Has the right temperament to be president...
Yes
76%
No
12%

Shares your values...
Yes
57%
No
23%

America's voters overall hold a mostly favorable view of McCain and have positive views of Giuliani by an even larger margin. Both men, however, remain unknown to many nationwide: half cannot yet form an opinion of McCain, and four in ten say the same of Giuliani.

OPINION OF MCCAIN (Among Registered Voters)

Favorable
31%
Not favorable
20%
Undecided
28%
Don't know enough yet
21%

OPINION OF GIULIANI (Among Registered Voters)

Favorable
41%
Not favorable
18%
Undecided
25%
Don't know enough yet
16%

To read the complete poll results, click here.

[j0hnwi11iams]

I would have far more respect for the South if the South had more respect for Science. There is a disease called religion that seems to take hold in the ignorant backwaters of the south that seems impervious to fact or reason. The South has been BEHIND on every progressive issue, consistently, beginning with SLAVERY. You should quit trying to defend your ignorance. If only you valued the ideas of science as much as its products. The only thing we get out of religion is more BS and those obedient to shameless con artists.

[jdweymouth]

seven-pesos: Nothing good comes out of the south? Texas has the second largest popluation in the country, and Florida has the 3rd largest. The most unciilized, and white trash cities I've seen are, New York, and Los Angeles. The most civilized cities I've seen are, San Antonio, and Jacksonville. I'm a northener, but the north, and south both have their embarassing underbelly. You're not a bigot are you? Oh, I forgot! That title only applies to Anglo-Saxon Christians.

[seven-pesos]

any republican can run as long as it's not another southern idiot creep like bush.

the south has no idea what a good president is.

rednecks, white trash, phony christian creeps...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[norcalruss]

Rudy is the only Republican candidate in the race so far, that I would even consider voting for. I voted for Bush in 2000, and voting for that idiot turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes in my life. If Rudy were to win the nomination he would have strong appeal to the sensible-center swing-voters who decide elections. But that is just the problem. He is not enough of an extremist for the right-wing nut jobs, religious zealots, anti-abortionists, gay haters, and fascists who want global domination by US inc., for him ever to get the nomination. So the nomination will probably go to either John %u2018more war%u2019 McCain, or flip-flopping Mitt the Mormon Romney, whose slogan should be, I used to be tolerant of women/gay rights but now I%u2019ve become a bigot to get the nomination.

[mefin2000]

How can you compare a hero like John McCain to a cheating, marry my second cousin, connected to a known criminal, arrogant, jerk? John McCain knows what it is like to be in war and with his courage and strenght was able to survive as a POW for over 5 year. What did Rudy do, he cleaned up New York, and cheated on his second wife with his third wife. His arrogance irrates me and his personal life makes me want to puke. I will never vote for someone who can treat the mother of his children the way he did his second wife than he does not deserve to be President. I would rather use my vote for a man who is willing to die for his principles. John McCain is a real hero and if the american people would have voted for him in 2000, than maybe our brave hero's fighting in Iraq and the brave soldiers who have died in Iraq would still be here and alive protecting our country and would still be able to enjoy their families. We need a man who can end this war the right way. A man who will finish the job and a man who will leave the Iraqi people with a better place. The soldier's fighing in Iraq and Afganistan need a leader who knows what it is like to be willing to sacrifice his body for the better of man. Mr. McCain, POW will make a greater leader not only because he is a true leader but also because he is a proven politcal leader. Any man who is willing to cross party lines and work with all parties when he thinks they are right is something our govenment needs.

[frb01]

In recent Republican history, this should be McCain's turn, the problems he has are his support for the surge, his age, and his health. I think he and Rudy are the leading candidates for the nomination, but would admit that whoever gets it faces a tough battle with the Democrats. Too many strong contenders over there, Clinton, Obama, Richardson, and Edwards, a candidate with a strength for whichever issue happens to be the defining issue of the moment.

[scott4261]

Giuliani is way to liberal on the social issues for the right wing nazis to stomach and he will not get the nomination. And McCain has kissed Bush's a s s for so long that he's lost any credibility he may have once had as a "maverick."

But this really is an exercise in futility. The GOP is dead in the water for 2008.

[archieinsc]

The lead poll NUMBERS ARE WRONG when compared with the complete poll data. It should be Giuliani 50% and McCain 29%, not 21%. I know Bob S. quoted this poll on Face the Nation, but I did not notice if he quoted the right numbers, not having seen the complete poll. Also it is interesting that among all registered voters it was a lot closer: 36% to 28%. Could it be CBS is pushing "America's Mayor"? One wonders.

[candojj1]

to fredgrad2000

you write sooo much c*r*a*p*o*l*a. You can not put your self in the shoes of a poor man. Nor can you see the soon to be poor man squeezed by his poor decisions of his adjustable rate mortgage and the terrible housing market. Nor can you see the plight of those being squeezed by the predatory banker who, at will, bait the average consumer with low rates only to send them some hidden piece of, what looks like junk mail "opt out" statement which the consumer probably does not see and probably does not understand. Furthermore, few consumers know enough about having to write letters to merchants to dispute a charge (in triplicate) BEFORE contacting the credit card company.
So what do these candidates offer to the average Joe? Absolutely nothing. It was Paul Volcker who tried to put some safeguards into place and without his leadership the country would truly be a gangster driven banker's paradise. However, as it stands, these candidates are just stooges of the most evil empire on the face of the Earth. There is no Luke Skywalker in sight.

[fredgrad2000]

A lot of posts here about the "right-wing"; and I agree; neither Guiliani nor McCain (who I both like) may be "right-wing" enough to win the GOP nomination...which is too bad, because they both seem actually willing to form their own opinions and hold to them, unlike the entire Democratic field (save Obama)- Hillary has "migrated" her position on the war to fit the Democratic primaries - look at her record; she never once has acted on principle; only on polls!! But for all this discussion of the "right-wing"; let's remember there is a very nutty "left-wing" out there as well; and as far as Republican candidates have to swing right to get their nomination, the Dems have to swing WAY left to win theirs....its too bad the people who control who our 2 real choices for President will be represent the 20% fringes (left AND right) of our society; how about we get 2 candidates who are willing to stand on their own beliefs and who don't have to kow-tow to the fringes? The one thing I KNOW, is that due to Iraq, you will end up with a much more more moderate GOP nominee for 2008, one that the GOP thinks can distance themselves from Bush, than Dem nominee; the Dem nominee will be very left, very liberal, and owned by the surrender left...

and fascistusa - who is this guy!? Go to Venezuela, you and Hugo can have your "revolution" there!!! But thanks for the laugh, you and other loons in the world like Chavez and Ahmadinejad, Chirac - at least you make me laugh!