[mosaicwolf]

This poll doesn’t mean much. Iowa is a RINO state.

[nascarnation]

He’s gotta ‘splain the wife’s Goldman Sachs deal before I jump on board.

[GraceG]

This poll doesn’t mean much. Iowa is a RINO state.

Too many idiot farmers on the subsidy teat....

[Dr. Sivana]

This poll doesn’t mean much. Iowa is a RINO state.

The Republicans in Iowa, especially those who participate in the caucus, are very willing to buck the GOP-E. Last time around they picked Santorum, despite his lack of money. Before that, they went with Huckabee over McCain. In '88, George the Elder finished near the back of the field despite being Reagan's VP, with Pat Robertson as second.

Admittedly, Iowa is soft on someone who serves the farm lobbyists. So, yes, her voters salivate at Bob Doles and Tom Harkins alike. Also, Iowa is going to be a touch less hawkish than northeastern Republicans on foreign policy. Iowa is an important caucus state (no open primaries there!) with no more RINO-ism than 90% of the other states.

[Vigilanteman]

Yep. Iowa was one of 10 states which Dukakis carried in Bush I’s 40 state sweep in 1988.

[xjcsa]

This poll doesn’t mean much. Iowa is a RINO state.

It doesn't mean much, but that's not why (the Iowa GOP is more evangelical/Christian right than anything else). It doesn't mean much for two reasons. First, the caucuses are over two years away - no poll means *anything* this far out. Second, the poll doesn't even ask who the respondent would vote for - it only asks whether they "like" the person.

Oh, and it's not a poll of likely voters, it's a poll of Republican "adults."