Poll: Giuliani Tumbles, GOP Race Tightens

CBS News Poll: Thompson's Entry Vaults Him To A Close Second Place In Republican Contest

(CBS)  Rudy Giuliani, after holding the front-runner spot in the race for the Republican presidential nomination for months, has seen his lead nearly evaporate with the entry of former senator and TV star Fred Thompson into the race, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds.

The poll contains other foreboding signs for the former New York City mayor as well, including indications that Republican primary voters may not buy his argument that running America’s biggest city makes Giuliani fit to occupy the White House.

After seeing his support among Republican primary voters rise to 38 percent in August, Giuliani was backed by only 27 percent of respondents in the most recent survey, narrowing his lead over Thompson to 5 percentage points after holding a 20-point edge last month.

While Thompson, at 22 percent support, is now a close second to Giuliani, he was not the only Republican to seemingly benefit from Giuliani’s fading numbers. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was written off by some after months of staff upheaval and disappointing fundraising, saw his support increase 6 points since the last survey to 18 percent. On the other hand, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won August’s straw poll in Ames, Iowa, saw little benefit nationwide, scoring 14 percent support - largely unchanged since last month.

Shallow Support?

Giuliani has based much of his presidential campaign around his actions as New York mayor during and immediately after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Strategically, this makes sense: 25 percent of GOP primary voters cite 9/11 as the reason they back Giuliani, and 82 percent of them believe Giuliani is a strong leader.

But beyond his record on 9/11 and his leadership abilities, Giuliani may face several problems. In recent Republican presidential debates, Giuliani has made the point that none of the top Democrats in the race - Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards - has run a state, city or business. Yet only 48 percent of registered voters believe that being a big-city mayor qualifies one to be president, a sentiment shared equally by Democrats and Republicans.

On the other hand, registered voters overwhelmingly believe that being a senator or governor provides the experience necessary to be president. Romney has been a governor, while all the other top candidates in the race are serving or have served in the Senate.

Also troubling for Giuliani may be how knowledgeable his own supporters are of his tenure as mayor, aside from 9/11. A majority of Giuliani supporters were unable to say whether crime went up or down during his administration, despite his frequent mentions of making New York safer. And more than 70 percent of Giuliani supporters didn’t know whether race relations got better or worse under Giuliani - several well-publicized incidents involving New York police are credited with exacerbating racial tensions in the city while Giuliani was mayor.

There even appears to be some ignorance among Giuliani’s supporters on the issue that most separates him from the rest of the GOP field: his support for abortion rights. While 41 percent say Giuliani favors legal abortions, 31 percent believe, incorrectly, that he opposes them.

However, even if more Republicans become aware of his position on abortion, Giuliani may still win the nomination. By a 2-to-1 margin, Republican primary voters said they could vote for a less conservative candidate if they believed that candidate would win in a general election, where Giuliani’s moderate views on social issues could allow him to win support from independent voters.

Giuliani may also see his lead stabilize or even grow if Thompson stumbles out of the gate. More than two-thirds of Republican primary voters have yet to decide if they view the “Law & Order” star favorably or unfavorably, while 40 percent view Giuliani favorably - the highest percentage among the top Republican candidates.

The Democrats

While the Republican race has been tumultuous, the Democratic contest has been relatively static for the past month. Clinton remains firmly in the lead among Democratic primary voters, with 44 percent support, trailed by Obama at 26 percent and Edwards at 17 percent - all largely unchanged since August.

Clinton also meets expectations by leading Obama by more than two to one among women. But they are nearly even among male Democratic voters.

---

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1263 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone September 4-9, 2007. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. An oversample of those with family members who are now serving in the U.S. armed forces or the U.S. reserves was also conducted for this poll, for a total of 349 interviews among this group. The results were then weighted in proportion to the composition of the adult population in the U.S. Census. The margin of error for military families is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

[j-whitman]

Keep tumbling Rudy, Fred''s soon to follow,,,, He helped Lybia terrorists in defending them against conviction in the Lockerby Pan Am 103 terrorist bombing

[mumsyof6]

Maybe you should get your facts straight. Fred Thompson did not defend Libyan terrorists. He provided advice to a colleague about one of his law firm%u2019s clients. If you read the NY Times article regarding this issue you will find your statement to be completely false.

[jyu1915]

It was absolutely hilarious that CBS got Bernard Kerik to be Rudy Giuliani''s character reference. That question about Giuliani lying to his wives was especially funny when put to Kerik, considering his 9-11 love nest with Judith Regan, where he cheated on both his wife and his other mistress. And the "gifts" he got from that New Jersey construction company.

Will Monsignor Alan Placa be Giuliani''s next character reference?

[Syndicate]

I''m Hoping for McCain Hucklebee ticket. In that order.

[pepperwood2]

Where''s the Story??

Last week - According to CBS Hiliary & Rendell received a total of $60,000 from Hush. Rendell admitting to receiving $40,000 & Hilliary $20,000 which was going to be returned to their favorite Charities.

Fox reports - that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to Return $850,000 in Donations Raised By Norman Hsu.

Maybe we''ll find the rest in Clinton''s Socks or Jefferson freezer?

[king77shaw]

Rudy - what really happened on 9/11 and when did you know it...?

9/11 Mysteries:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6708190071483512003&q=911+mysteries&hl=en

[nyckate]

LMAO -- looks like Fred asked Rudy "who''s your daddy" and blew Rudy out of the water!!!

The really hillarious thing is that Fred is way too old to be president!!!


Apparently religious right haven''t been looking for a daddy figure but for a gradpa figure!!!

[jerr11]

Apparently religious right haven''''t been looking for a daddy figure but for a gradpa figure!!!
Posted by nyckate at 08:47 PM : Sep 10, 2007



I''m still trying to figure out if Jeri Thompson was looking for a daddy or a grandpa figure!

[feelfree1]

Re: "Rudy Giuliani, after holding the front-runner spot in the race for the Republican presidential nomination for months"

So that''s what that is. I thought that he was "holding" a small bag of cocaine.

[smirk5]

These GOP voters sure like Hollywood types.
Reagan
Swartzeneggar
Bono
Grandy
etc.

They say they hate hollywood types and then vote for hollywood types that act like one of them. Let''s see: Thompson is a washington lobbyist/actor that lives just outside of DC. He divorced his first wife and has a trophy wife. He lobbied for abortion in the 80s and he wears Guccis when walking around in Iowa. Don''t believe the facts that show he''s one of "those folks in Washington", believe the hype. The GOP is counting on it.

[indivthinker]

he really hillarious thing is that Fred is way too old to be president!!!


Apparently religious right haven''''t been looking for a daddy figure but for a gradpa figure!!!
Posted by nyckate at 08:47 PM : Sep 10, 2007

***? How can you be too old to be President unless you are so old that you are suffering from Alzheimers? Reagan was old (the oldest ever), yet he was turned out to be one of the greatest leaders that this nation has ever seen.

With age comes wisdom... most of the time.

[indivthinker]

These GOP voters sure like Hollywood types.
Reagan
Swartzeneggar
Bono
Gra
ndy
etc.
Posted by Smirk5 at 09:13 PM : Sep 10, 2007

You idiot. The GOP doesn''t like Bono. Bono is a socialist. Of course morons like you have to make up stuff just to support your opinion.

[kansas1946]

"Maybe you should get your facts straight. Fred Thompson did not defend Libyan terrorists. He provided advice to a colleague about one of his law firm%u2019s clients. If you read the NY Times article regarding this issue you will find your statement to be completely false."
Posted by mumsyof6 at 07:38 PM : Sep 10, 2007
********************************
mumsy, you may be exactly right about this, but since "facts" are not applicable in politics, so what. I didn''t see the Swift Boat scum worrying about facts when they went after John Kerry, I didn''t see the Bush SC campaign commitee scum worrying about facts when they went after John McCain.
I think we are way beyond "facts" in political rhetoric. You can''t get an big ugly cat back into a small pretty bag, so "facts" are out.

[smirk5]

indivthinker,
Was it great when Reagan traded arms to Iran to get hostages released in Lebanon?
How about the fact that the deficit exploded on his watch?
He went to a graveyard in Germany and memorialized SS men.
The Iran/Contra Scandal

Yeah, he sure was great. Myth before fact.

[smirk5]

indivthinker,

You skipped the parts about Thompson being a DC lobbyist/actor who wear Guccis when hanging out in Iowa and who lobbied on behalf of abortion in the 80s. These are all solid facts.
Bono wasn''t a Republican?

[starleo146]

mumsy, you may be exactly right about this, but since "facts" are not applicable in politics, so what. I didn''''t see the Swift Boat scum worrying about facts when they went after John Kerry, I didn''''t see the Bush SC campaign commitee scum worrying about facts when they went after John McCain.
I think we are way beyond "facts" in political rhetoric. You can''''t get an big ugly cat back into a small pretty bag, so "facts" are out.
Posted by kansas1946 at 09:18 PM : Sep 10, 2007

Kansas1946 this was about the best I''ve read thanks for this post.

[starleo146]

Was it great when Reagan traded arms to Iran to get hostages released in Lebanon?
How about the fact that the deficit exploded on his watch?
He went to a graveyard in Germany and memorialized SS men.
The Iran/Contra Scandal

Yeah, he sure was great. Myth before fact.
Posted by Smirk5 at 09:19 PM : Sep 10, 2007

It wasn''t so great when he fired all those traffic controllers and broke that union I know they were all so happy when they named the Wash.D.C. airport after him.

[smirk5]

Well, the Republican voters bought the idea that an American blueblood elite born in Connecticut was a down-home Texas rancher. I guess it makes sense that these same voters will believe that a D.C. Lobbyist/actor who lobbied on behalf of abortion is really a down home salt of the earth type who isn''t one of those "folks from Washington". Hell, Thompson is probably downing a cappuccino right now as he thinks about eating sushi later this evening.

[woaitheo]

Word to wise on the left...I''m a moderate...fairly conservative on some issues and quite liberal on others. However, after reading many of your blogs, I have to sympathise with the "religious right" (as they have been so maliciously named). How many of you liberals actually think that you will pursuade and logically-thinking conservative with your name calling and attacks on the very core of their personalities, rather than their beliefs. Grow up! I mean, some of you attack and I''m convinced that you have nothing better to do with your time then bitterly strike back at the "religious right" due to some "religious rights" nut from your past. Forgive already! Move on! Believe me I understand. I have had my share of religious nuts. But I''ve also had my share of intellectual, friendly and loving "religous rights" as well. Judge them individually, not as a whole and who knows...maybe they will enlighten some of you...By the sounds of it...some of you may need that. Yours truly, Woaitheo

[luigi999-2009]

More whacko left-wing CBS misinformation in trying to manipulate the 2008 election.

SHAMEFUL!

How about all those Dems, including Queen Hillary, who accepted donations $$$ from the criminal Hsu? Let''s hear a little about that CBS! Your bias is so obvious! AND YOU HYPOCRITES WANT TO SILENCE FOX? HA, HA, HA.

[kansas1946]

Kansas1946 this was about the best I''''ve read thanks for this post.
Posted by starleo146 at 09:23 PM : Sep 10, 2007
*****************
Thanks, starleo.
I am just sorry that it is true. :o(

[homjett]

If Mitt Romney was a Baptist, he would be leading the whole bunch of them, easily in the 50% range. In the States that he has put ads an cultivated, in is running in lst. I could be wrong here, but from what I have noticed by the Left, they seem to worry alot about him. Its still a long way off, national polls mean very little at this point. Fred Thompson''s health is going to be a problem for him. Romney/Huckabee ticket would nice to see. Wishful thinking I know.

[old5hita55]

We all ort to get together behind one man and vote him into the Whitehouse and stop all this messing around with all these different men running for president. I think we ort to have to just pick one from the democrats and pick one from the republicans and let the people decide and vote on which one of them ort to be president. This takes to long and it is confusing when you have so many different people running for president we shoud just make up are minds and get it over with. I think Thompson shoulkd be the one who runs because hes a good speaker and hes old and a lot more growed up that the others.

[roadk111]

I don''t know who they''re polling for juliani to get 27%. Funny how Ron Paul never gets mentioned in any of these polls, but after a televised debate, gets 33% of the viewers to say he won the debate.
Number of YouTube Videos:
Ron Paul - 22,700
Rudy Giuliani - 2,010
Fred Thompson - 1,010
Where''s Giuliani & Thompson''s support? Seems to me more people are putting forth real effort to support Ron Paul.

[meb955]

More whacko left-wing CBS misinformation in trying to manipulate the 2008 election. SHAMEFUL!
How about all those Dems, including Queen Hillary, who accepted donations $$$ from the criminal Hsu? Let''''s hear a little about that CBS! Your bias is so obvious! AND YOU HYPOCRITES WANT TO SILENCE FOX? HA, HA, HA.
Posted by Luigi999 at 09:50 PM : Sep 10, 2007

misinformation? where? what? or do you yourself not know what giuliani really believes in? and is actually putting some meat on those thin bones too much of an effort for you?

as for the rest of your nonsense, you obviously missed this headline piece:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/10/politics/main3249034.shtml

on the basis of what little evidence you''ve provided, your post was vacuous. save me from ignorant conservative posters trying to be big shots on line.

[oakishpines]

'' ... it''s tiring just watching all the trillion dollar men with their hands tied by the two idiots raping all the girls in their trillion dollar dare and shock and awe wars ... ''

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Dear Everyone,
Where was God on Sept 11th? He was glued to the TV set to the horror that was unfolding. His heart was breaking to the scenes that where taking place. He was unable to force what man should do in his decisions. He is open to the hearts that respond to the truth that they are loved. He is opened to the people wanting His will. There are some who want there own will and you see where that gets us a 911!

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Dear Everyone,
Where was God on Sept 11th? He was glued to the TV set to the horror that was unfolding. His heart was breaking to the scenes that where taking place. He was unable to force what man should do in his decisions. He is open to the hearts that respond to the truth that they are loved. He is opened to the people wanting His will. There are some who want there own will and you see where that gets us a 911!

[condumism]

Thompson, a career lobbyist, represents everything that is wrong with Washington. Hes the corporations and special interests wet dream. If you like Bush, youll just love Thompson. If you like government by the corporation, of the corporation and for the special interests, hes your man. Hes a multinational corporation posing as a human being.

How convenient that when america notices what a sorry lot the GOP candidates are some other fake actor ronald reagan wanna be comes in with so much media favor to take the reins as the official banana republicon candidate for empire and national decline...

[lorinkundert]

Yes it''s amazing that CBS doesn''t report the fact that a judge in California is deciding if a video tape that shows Hillary discussing campaign funding that was determined to be illegal is to be admitted into evidence.

If it is she could be on the hook for at least 5 years.

[lars008-2009]

CHINESE OWN DEMONIC-RATS AND BUY THEM THE ELECTIONS!!!

The tale of shady Chinese Clinton donors avoiding U.S. justice is a familiar one that dates back to the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandal known as Chinagate. The Clintons took millions in laundered foreign campaign donations from Chinese Communists in exchange for liberalizing trade policy with China, dropping pending indictments against influential Chinese figures, spots on a U.S. trade mission and overnight stays at the White House.

Many of the Chinagate donors were successfully prosecuted even though Clinton Attorney General Janet Reno blocked investigators%u2019 efforts at the Justice Department. More than 100 people connected to the fundraising scandal fled the country, however. Norman Hsu seems to be following their lead.
http://www.corruptionchronicles.com/2007/09/hillary_donor_flees_like_china.html

and you thought gonzales was bad...

[lars008-2009]

THE CONTINUING SAGA OF DEMONIC-RAT CHINAGATE 2

HSU A NO HSU AT HEARING%u2026 LOL

Democratic Donor a No Show at Hearing
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070906/D8RFKG500.html
Dems Dirty Donor Norman Hsu Fails to Show for Bail Reduction Hearing Leading to Speculation He''s On the Run
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295828,00.html
china buys usa elections???
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=chinese+campaign contributions democrat
Big Source of Clinton''s Cash Is an Unlikely Address
Family''s Donations Closely Track Those Of Top Fund-Raiser
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118826947048110677.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news
Report: Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft&btnG=Search
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295031,00.html
Leading Clinton Donor Stays Below the Radar
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118835199704811801.html?mod=blog
''DIRTY CASH'' MAN FLEES
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03042007/news/nationalnews/pro_clinton_dirty_cash_man_flees_nationalnews_christine_field.htm

[vancouverboo]

Possibly Giuliani wasn''t so smart saying illegal aliens weren''t illegal.

[oakishpines]

'' ... trillion dollar empires always rape more babies than their two dollar empire neighbors, it''s not a question of if the good generals will be found guilty, it is a question of when ... ''

[skyk-2009]

lars maybe you should start looking at your OWN problems and stop with the obvious hatred you have for OTHER American''s who happen to be democrats. It''s People like lars that has us in the mess we''re in.

[mcvet]

The Republican Party is at a turning point. They can continue to follow Southern Fascism and continue to let those people determine the Direction of the Party, in which case they MOST certainly will lose their support in the rest of the nation or they can jettison the Southern Fascist and regain the support in the rest of the nation and the world. I can tell you this, the face of Southern Fascism doesn''t play well in my part of the country nor in the Countries throughout the world. Sieg Heil Bush

[aznyron-2009]

Fred Thompson is no Ronald Reagan and Rudy is no 9-11 hero the real heros of 9-11 are in a New Jersey dump site that what the N.Y mayor did with them to hide the truth of 9-11 and the steel eye beams were sent to China and building 7 collaped and fell when it was not hit by any thing other than flying paper another mysterie the Bush adm finger prints are all over 9-11 so as I sit in front of my pc in thailand and read all the post I know I will not vote any more I don''t trust any one that includes both D & R now for my political analogy it will be fred & rudy against hillary & Bill Richardson and Hillary will win things can change from now to Nov/08 but that my prediction as of 9-11-07 the American people are tired of lies from Bush adm and will elect a Democrat by margin of 53 to 47 now the south will go R and some mid west states will go R but the big number states will go D and if the D play it right that can capture Florida since Jebb is no longer Governor

[radiob-2009]

%u201CLobbyists reported 393,000 hours of work from Jan. 1, 2005, through June 30 -- the equivalent of 372 eight-hour days for every state legislator.%u201D
"Since 1998, 43 percent of the 198 members of Congress who left government to join private life have registered to lobby."
"74% of Americans are "dissatisfied" with the way things are going in this country."
"82% of Americans agree that "America has become so polarized between Democrats and Republicans that Washington can''''t seem to make progress solving the nation''''s problems."


http://www.unity08.com/


Or do you want more poodles in your wallet?

[ksjeff-2009]

"aznyron" You write one, long, boring continuous sentence. I hope you don''t have a liberal arts degree.

[lars008-2009]

CHINESE OWN DEMONIC-RATS AND BUY THEM THE ELECTIONS!!!

The tale of shady Chinese Clinton donors avoiding U.S. justice is a familiar one that dates back to the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandal known as Chinagate. The Clintons took millions in laundered foreign campaign donations from Chinese Communists in exchange for liberalizing trade policy with China, dropping pending indictments against influential Chinese figures, spots on a U.S. trade mission and overnight stays at the White House.
Many of the Chinagate donors were successfully prosecuted even though Clinton Attorney General Janet Reno blocked investigators%u2019 efforts at the Justice Department. More than 100 people connected to the fundraising scandal fled the country, however. Norman Hsu seems to be following their lead.
http://www.corruptionchronicles.com/2007/09/hillary_donor_flees_like_china.html

and you thought gonzales was bad...

[mike71067]

I already have a "FRED ''08" sticker on my car. I don''t even know what he stands for. All I know is that he has a "presidential" aura about him. And he''s a good speaker. Hey, we elected Bill Clinton for superficial reasons, didn''t we?

[realpatriot1]

mike71067,

No we didn''t elect Clinton for superficial reasons. The knock on Clinton back in 1992 was that he was a "policy wonk". No one will ever say that about Fred.

If you choose your leader based upon superficial reasons that''s your idiocy.

You voted for Bush twice, didn''t you?

[realpatriot1]

skyk,

No sense in appealing to a sense of patriotism from Lars. As brianwb has already discovered, he ain''t American, he''s Belgian.

He would make a typical republican with the blame democrats first and last and accept no responsibility outlook.

Thou shalt speak no ill of a republican is their motto. Speaking ill of America when democrats are in charge is what patriotism means to them.

[pwrslm]

The neo conservative movement is nothing more than a Demoncrap in a Republican shirt. The liberal split in the demoncrapy party resulted in neo conservatives, which are not conservatives at all, they are in opposition to liberal experiments that liberals are historically famous for. Real conservatives are being squeezed out of politics, they only rise to recognition after the liberals have decimated the situation with stupidity. Examples of conservative stands are anti abortion, anti smoking, stopping illegal immigration, and drug prohibition reform, we need to down size government and abolish the IRS, and replace it with a flat rate sales tax to save this nation hundreds of millions that the IRS blows every years....and then we need to eliminate all lobby activity funded by any corporation that is held by foreign entities...and eliminate all lobby activity by any business without opposing lobby to protect the interest of the people of the USA.....bottom line, smaller Federal Government means the people win, and the politicians must recognize that there is a line that is drawn that they must not cross, one of them is the elimination of the national debt comes before "earmarks" designating new spending. Its got to stop, the money they get from Tax Payers is not a comodity to bargain with to aquire "deals" to influence legislation, its money taken from the people of this nation to provide and protect our country. .

[jack3213]

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1263 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone September 4-9, 2007.

1263 Adults? Where?

An oversample of those with family members who are now serving in the U.S. armed forces or the U.S. reserves was also conducted for this poll, for a total of 349 interviews among this group.

With 130,000 in Iraq, that is not a fair poll.

It will come down to Guiliani and Thompson.
For the Democrats, options are irrelevant.

[briannorwood]

When asked to comment on the recent polls, Giuliani responded "9/11".

[vandal87]

These GOP voters sure like Hollywood types.
Reagan
Swartzeneggar
Bono
Gra

ndy
etc.
Posted by Smirk5 at 09:13 PM : Sep 10, 2007

You idiot. The GOP doesn''''t like Bono. Bono is a socialist. Of course morons like you have to make up stuff just to support your opinion.
Posted by indivthinker at 09:17 PM : Sep 10, 2007

indivthinker--ironic name since you didn''t think before calling someone an idiot. Sonny Bono was a Republican. I doubt if he was talking about the singer Bono from U2. LOL

[boldwin223]

"I already have a "FRED ''''08" sticker on my car. I don''''t even know what he stands for. All I know is that he has a "presidential" aura about him. And he''''s a good speaker. Hey, we elected Bill Clinton
for superficial reasons, didn''t we?"

Posted by mike71067 at 09:12 AM : Sep 11, 2007

I hope Fred gets the Republican nomination. He has a lot of baggage that will help the Democrats win the White House.

[prinzowhales]

Posted by pwrslm at 09:33 AM : Sep 11, 2007
___________
What''s this? Disowning your masters? At least you recognize that Neo-Conservatism is nothing more than a particular virulent form of the Neo-Liberalism. Now, why do you support the Neo-Conservative''s Stupid Peoples'' War for Oil, Israel and Opium?-- Woodrow Wilson Gone Wild...

Its no accident that FOX owner Rupert Murdoch is behind Zio-Nazi Hillary, just as he was behind the Chimp. Hillary just appeals to a different segment of America''s largest constituency-- the Fool Vote.

[gunownerdan]

Dr. Ron Paul is the ONLY presidential candidate who would obey the oath of office and protect the Constitution.
RonPaul2008.com