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Posted on 12/02/2007 6:44:44 AM PST by Reaganesque
In New Hampshire’s Republican Presidential Primary, the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney with 34% support and a nineteen-point lead. Making the most of his home field advantage, Romney has steadily increased his lead from fifteen points earlier in November, nine-points in October and three-points in September.
The new primary election poll shows a virtual three-way tie for second place between former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain at 15% and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee at 14%. For Giuliani and McCain, those figures are a very slight dip from earlier in the month while Huckabee has gained four more percentage points.
Support for Romney and Huckabee in the current survey is the highest yet recorded in a Rasmussen Reports New Hampshire survey. For Giuliani, the 15% reflects his lowest level of support in the six New Hampshire primary election polls. New results for the Democratic Primary will be released on Saturday.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of McCain’s supporters are certain they will vote for him on January 8. Fifty-four percent (54%) of Giuliani’s supporters are that certain along with 49% of those for Huckabee and 48% of Romney voters.
At the other extreme, 15% of Giuliani’s voters say there’s a good chance they could change their mind before voting. That figure is 13% for supporters of Romney, McCain, and Huckabee.
Huckabee attracts 39% of the Evangelical Christian vote in New Hampshire while Romney earns 20% support from that group.
Whether Huckabee is simply enjoying fifteen minutes of fame or has become a serious contender for the Republican nomination remains to be seen, but his campaign is certainly enjoying the ride at the moment. In September, his long-shot campaign attracted just 4% of New Hampshire voters and even less support nationally. Now, in addition to his strong showing in New Hampshire, the bass-guitar playing candidate is a frontrunner in Iowa and essentially tied for second nationally.
However, with increased support comes increased challenges. Yesterday, a group that helped rally public opposition to the Senate immigration bill called Huckabee’s record on the immigration issue a “disaster.” (The Senate immigration bill was defeated when the Senate surrendered to public opinion). Twenty-five percent (25%) of New Hampshire’s Primary Voters name immigration as the most important voting issue. The previous Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in New Hampshire found strong support for enforcement measures to reduce illegal immigration. Eighty percent (80%) of Republican primary voters believe that when police pull someone over for a traffic violation, they should routinely check to see if that person is in the country legally. If the person is discovered to be an illegal immigrant, 73% believe that person should be deported.
As for other issues, 24% of New Hampshire voters say the economy is the most important voting issue. Twenty percent (20%) say national security is tops and another 15% believe the War in Iraq is the most important issue. One surprise in the data is that Romney holds a solid lead over Giuliani among those who say national security is the most important issue. In Iowa, Huckabee attracted more national security voters than Giuliani.
Romney is viewed favorably by 80% of Likely Primary voters, McCain by 75%, and Giuliani by 71%. For McCain, that positive assessment reflects a remarkable comeback from the summer when he was viewed favorably by just 53% of Likely Republican Primary Voters. At the time, he was also viewed unfavorably by 43%.
Huckabee is now viewed favorably by 60% and unfavorably by 31% of Likely Primary Voters in New Hampshire.
Fred Thompon’s decline has been so dramatic that his favorable ratings are closer to Ron Paul’s than to the frontrunners. Just 50% have a favorable opinion of Thompson while 44% say the opposite. In September, Thompson earned 19% of the vote in New Hampshire. That has fallen to just 3% today.
In fact, Thompson now trails Ron Paul who earns 8% support in the latest poll. Paul is viewed favorably by 36% of Likely Republican Primary Voters and unfavorably by 57%. The Texas Congressman brings a surprisingly large campaign bank account to the state and his campaign will present an interesting wild card for voters and other candidates.
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Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
The Rasmussen Reports ElectionEdge™ Premium Service for Election 2008 offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a Presidential election.
Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
"The man who lost his fiancee to Daniel T. Tavares Jr. believes the violent convict may be the serial killer
who took the lives of nine drug-involved prostitutes from the New Bedford area in the 1980s.
“He kept talking about them and saying, ‘I know that one.’ One was found buried in the yard,”
said Norman Sirois, who was engaged to marry Ann M. Tavares, 46, when she was stabbed
to death by her son on July 10, 1991. Sirois, 63, made his remarks yesterday after reading
accounts of how Tavares led state police to the remains of Gayle A. Botelho, 32, in 2000.
Botelho’s skeletal remains were unearthed on the grounds of 314 June St. in Fall River,
where Sirois said he rented an apartment with Ann Tavares, her killer son and his friend, Richard Pires, in the 1980s.
Botelho was last seen in October 1988 leaving her apartment, which was across the street.
In the past, investigators have said Botelho’s death was not linked to the prostitutes’ murders.
Sirois said the night Botelho went missing he came home from a party to find Daniel Tavares
staring out a window at a police cruiser outside the Prospect Street apartment where she lived.
“He says, ‘They’re looking for Gayle.’ I said, ‘Did you talk to the police?’ He said, ‘No.’ I never brought it up again.
How did he know they were looking for Gayle if he didn’t talk to the police?” asked Sirois,
who added that he did not know Botelho.
Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol district attorney, C. Samuel Sutter Jr., yesterday
declined to comment on Sirois’ comments.
“We are actively investigating all unsolved homicides from 1991 to 2006,” Miliote said. Paul F. Walsh Jr.,
who served as Bristol district attorney from 1991-2006, could not be reached for comment.
“I can’t prove it. It’s just so funny that everything stopped after he went to prison,” said Sirois,
who lived with Tavares for several years while he dated his mother. Sirois described
Tavares as a man who “lied through his teeth and” was always unemployed.
But regarding the Botelho case, “It’s my word against his,” he said."
Well, given the poll results, I would say that your repeated postings of this story have had zero affect outside of FR. Keep up the good work, though. I love the smell of desperation in the morning! It smells like victory!
ROTFLMAO! Holy cow that is embarrassing for Fred.
The liberal takeover of the Republican Party needs to be turned back to avoid a national economic and social disaster. Say absolutely NO to any of these RINOs.
What does Fred expect, there is 0 Fred presence in the state.
Earlier in the year a fund raiser was held with Fred as the keynote. He spoke for exactly 5 minutes. Most left the room scratching their heads.
It’s between Rudy, Mitt, and McCain in the state, who’s most acceptable?
Thompson’s future comes down to SC, if he can’t win there he is sadly toast. No momentum going into any other primaries. Polling strong nationally is one thing but this isn’t a national race.
I’ve decided that any politician that can’t show his face in my home state before the first primary doesn’t need or want my vote. A lot of us voters are tired of being short changed. The candidates beg us for our money yet that money goes to other states for campaign costs and advertising.
Having said that, where is my puke bucket.
Well at least with McCain we know he will do the best for the military even when unpopular (see: surge).
Deleted comments increase in direct proportion to some candidate(s) poll numbers circling the drain. In about another 4 weeks, it could get so nasty here that it’ll need to carry an “R” rating.
I wonder if that would be a first. Somehow I doubt it.
Yes it does. Romney looks pretty strong.
Oh man do I hope it's just 15 minutes of fame.
I still have some faith that the evangelicals will have the political sense to see what a disaster that socialist freak would be for our party.
Romney better start running those attack ads 24-7 in Iowa.
If it is that important for you to know what #13 said it was directed to me and it said that I am a anti-Mormon bigot, which is understandable since what I posted in #6 and #10 were so absolutely bigoted. < /sarcasm>
Mitt bump!
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