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Latest polls show GOP candidate Huckabee strong

By M&C US News Dec 14, 2007, 17:01 GMT

The latest Rasmussen Reports polling in the state of Florida show GOP candidate Rudy Giuliani may not enjoy the lead he once had. Baptist preacher GOP candidate Mike Huckabee now leads in the Sunshine State Primary with 27% of the vote. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee leaves the Des Moines Register/Iowa Public Television Republican presidential debate in Johnston, Iowa 12 December 2007. The first political test of the 2008 will be the Iowa caucus on 03 January 2008. EPA/STEVE POPE

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee leaves the Des Moines Register/Iowa Public Television Republican presidential debate in Johnston, Iowa 12 December 2007. The first political test of the 2008 will be the Iowa caucus on 03 January 2008. EPA/STEVE POPEOn his heels is Mitt Romney at 23% and Giuliani at 19%. Fred Thompson is at 9% in the poll, John McCain at 6%, and Dr. Ron Paul at 4%. Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter each attract 1% and 8% are undecided.Those figures reflect a huge reversal in the race since November when Rasmussen Reports polling found Giuliani on top with 27% followed by Romney at 19% and Thompson at 16%. Since then, Huckabee has gained 18 percentage points and Romney picked up four points. Giuliani is down eight, Thompson is down seven, and McCain is down four.Newsweek cover boy Huckabee has shaken up the race for the White House with an amazing surge over the past month. He now leads in Iowa and South Carolina. He is tied for the lead in Michigan and consistently near the top nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.Romney is still leading in New Hampshire.The results of those earlier votes will almost certainly have an impact in Florida where 49% of voters are “certain” they will vote for their current favorite when the election actually rolls around.Rasmussen poll shows that if voters do change their mind, Giuliani narrowly tops the list as a second choice. Eighteen percent (18%) say the New Yorker is their second choice followed by McCain at 16%, Romney at 15%, Huckabee at 13%, and Thompson at 12%. Among those who say there is a good chance they could change their mind, Giuliani is an even stronger second choice preference.Thirty percent (30%) of Florida’s Likely Primary Voters say that a candidates faith and religion are Very Important voting considerations. Another 30% say they are Somewhat Important while 40% say either Not Very Important or Not at All Important.No surprise, among those who value faith and religion as "Very Important", Huckabee has a huge lead. He attracts 44% of these voters. Romney attracts 15%, Thompson 11%, and Giuliani 8%.Among those who consider a candidate’s faith and religion Somewhat Important, the three leading candidates are even—Giuliani wins 26% of this vote, Huckabee and Romney 25% each.But, among those who say a candidate’s faith and religion is not important, it’s Romney 28%, Giuliani 22%, and Huckabee 17%.Romney now earns the highest favorable ratings among Florida’s Likely Primary Voters at 74%. That’s up five points since November and up eleven since September.Giuliani is viewed favorably by 69%, down from 79% a month ago. Huckabee is viewed favorably by 68%, up from 56% a month ago.Thompson draws positive reviews from 64%, McCain from 57%, and Ron Paul from 23%.Immigration is the top issue for Republican Primary Voters—28% name it their most important voting issue. Twenty-one percent (21%) name national security as their top issue, 19% pick the economy, and 16% the War in Iraq.Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.

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wikitheoryDec 14th, 2007 - 20:58:30

I am not the least bit surprised.

I've been a lifelong democrat all my life, I've never been very religious and I would vote for Huckabee over Clinton in a heartbeat. And I'm not the only democrat who feels that way.

Huckabee will walk away with the presidency easily.

He's real. He's honest. And he cares about people.

When was the last time a republican actually cared about the plight of the middle class. Doing so is commiting suicide in the primary race, or so people though. Huckabee went against the traditional wisdom and that's why middle class americans, from both parties will vote for him in droves.

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Louis NardoziDec 15th, 2007 - 01:22:52

Huckabee never finished the seminary, so I can KINDA believe him when he said he didn't know about Romney's religion. Of course, comparative religion is a sort of low level class, but give him the credit for not being studious and drop it. He DOES believe in creationism, so at least he was awake PART of the time. I wonder how he does on other religions stuff. I know he got his Baptist girl friend Diane O'Connell a government job even though she had no experience. Cost Arkansas 1.6 million, so I guess he fails at not lying. Let's see, he stole $60,000 out of the taxpayer fund so I guess he missed that class about not stealing. He tried to pay himself as a consultant in his own Senatorial election, so he missed that class on not cheating too. He opened a wedding registry at Target and Dillard's while he was governor so his grateful subjects could buy him presents when he and his wife renewed their vows. Hm - guess he missed that class about not coveting his neighbor's possessions too. Wait - maybe there's a simpler explanation. Maybe the Huckster thinks YOU'RE stupid. After all, he DOES support the FairTax, which doesn't tax corporations AT ALL, and millionaires and up at the same rate as someone who is near poverty level - i.e. less than 5%. Here's the thing - religious people really ARE religious. Who among them wants any truck with THIS devil?

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