Posted on 06/19/2007 9:31:51 AM PDT by SirLinksalot
WASHINGTON – Will it be Hillary vs. Rudy?
Mitt vs. Barack?
Or will the 2008 presidential race involve two currently undeclared candidates?
A new poll placing Fred Thompson in the lead nationwide among Republicans and increasing speculation that former presidential candidate Al Gore might enter the race give a whole new look to the campaign.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds former Tennessee Sen. Thompson earning support from 28 percent of likely Republican primary voters. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attracts support from 27 percent.
While Thompson's one-point edge may be statistically insignificant, it is the first time anyone but Giuliani has been on top in Rasmussen Reports polling, or, for that matter, any other national public opinion survey.
Thompson has not officially declared his candidacy but is expected to make an announcement July 4.
"It remains an open question as to how Thompson will hold up once he actually enters the campaign and has to compete directly with other candidates," says Scott Rasmussen. "To date, he retains the allure of the new kid in town while GOP voters already know the things they don't like about the others. Still, Thompson's rise to the top provides a telling measure of how the other GOP hopefuls have failed to capture the imagination of the party they hope to lead."
Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are tied in the latest poll for a distant third. This week, both candidates attract 10 percent support.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback are each the top choice for 2 percent of likely voters. The combined total for five other candidates in the race is just under 3 percent. Those candidates are Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, former Gov. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, and former Gov. Jim Gilmore of Virginia. Some 18 percent say they're not sure how they will vote.
Meanwhile, there is increasing talk of Gore's entry into the race. With Clinton's negatives reaching 50 percent among the electorate in some major polls and no other declared candidate on the Democratic side presenting a serious challenge, oddsmakers are seeing Gore as a favorite.
Online sportsbooks are offering 6-1 odds that Gore will win the presidency.
Gore's new book, "Assault on Reason," is also seen as laying the foundation for entry into the race.
The latest word from Gore? He says his environmental duties "feels like a worthwhile mission. I have not ruled (a presidential run) out entirely because I'm only 59, and 59 is the new 58 you know."
Hey, if neither of them ever announces, we can have a vote to see who heads the shadow government.
I think Gore will jump in, and when he does, he and Hillary will have a serious throw-down. What if Gore won the nomination and picked Obama and Hillary gets left out? Hey, I can dream...
From the broken-record file: The Democrats have a chance to nominate a woman, a black and a Hispanic. After much soul-searching and wearing of hearts on sleeves, they will nominate a white guy from the South. That means Edwards, but leaves the door open for Gore. (Or Jimmy, if he keeps shooting his mouth off.)
Reminds me of the "good old days" (for Democrats) when people became nonpersons, like Trotsky. Or maybe the author forgot that Hussein is a credible challenger.
I seriously hope Algore can take the nomination.
My reasoning is this:
I would never vote for him and I disagree with him on almost every issue...but, should he actually win the election, I could live with it.
OTOH, if Haglary got the nomination and then actually went on to win the election, it would be too much of a disaster to live with. I might have to leave the country.
Obama brings the black vote in. It says, "See, we're serious about black issues, even if we weren't serious enough to nominate a black guy from president."
And Obama, shortly after announcing his bid for VP mysteriously disappears.
Gore only sweats in the presence of the Clintons from then on...
This, of course, pre-supposes that the Republicans can nominate a uniter and a winner. Right now, Republicans have their own problems with immigration reform dividing the party. IMHO Fred Thompson is the best bet with Giuliani second.
Hmmm....Algore challenging Thompson?
It looks like another opportunity for Algore to lose his “home state”.
(Tennessean’s know him too well to let him carry their state.)
Giuliani? Never, not ever. I don't vote for gun grabbers. He'd better not even be the number two man on the ticket, because I won't vote for the ticket regardless of where he is on it.
I don’t really want to live with a liberal or another “moderate” in the W.H.
The Lefties have been seduced into believing he’s their second coming after ripping him in 2000 as colorless. He’s spent years re-positioning himself as one of them, something Hillary has failed at.
I said a couple years ago I wouldn’t be surprised if he enters. Or someone just like him.
I’ll say this much. He’s not the crazy he acts on TV to stir the faithful. And he’s a politician at heart. I know they don’t like Hillary, but she’s a more genuine Leftist then Gore is. He just acts the part better. Basically if they nominate Gore, they nominate another Bill. Only one that can keep his pants on. I find that amusing, since most of their base thinks Bill was too “centrist” even if they loved his personality.
They might say the same of republicans and nominating Thompson. That conservatives are falling for the cult of personality and drifting towards another moderate like the kind we’ve railed against. Some Freepers have said as much. Maybe they are right. But I’m not convinced of that yet. Absent Hunter, I do believe he’s the most conservative. It comes down, imo, to whether he is simply center-right or a died in the wool baptized at birth conservative. The first kind tend to drift left when in power. The second type are steady. I think that’s what people like myself inclined to support him are trying to ascertain.
Get used to president hildabeast then and get back with me about the gun grabbers after it is elected.
Heaven forbid, that we have another Clinton in the WH! And Gore isn’t much better!
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