AP Poll: GOP Pick Is 'None of the Above' (1/4 Repub. Unwilling to Back Giuliani, Thompson, Romney) [View All]

[Hissyspit]

Source: New York Times

AP Poll: GOP Pick Is 'None of the Above'

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 17, 2007
Filed at 3:12 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- And the leading Republican presidential candidate is ... none of the above.

The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Such dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight.

In sharp contrast, the Democratic race remains static, with Hillary Rodham Clinton holding a sizable lead over Barack Obama. The New York senator, who is white, also outpaces her Illinois counterpart, who is black, among black and Hispanic Democrats, according to a combined sample of two months of polls.

- snip -

''Democrats are reasonably comfortable with the range of choices. The Democratic attitude is that three or four of these guys would be fine,'' David Redlawsk, a University of Iowa political scientist. ''The Republicans don't have that; particularly among the conservatives there's a real split. They just don't see candidates who reflect their interests and who they also view as viable.''

More Republicans have become apathetic about their options over the past month. A hefty 23 percent can't or won't say which candidate they would back, a jump from the 14 percent who took a pass in June. Giuliani's popularity continued to decline steadily as he faced a spate of headline headaches, came under increased scrutiny and saw the potential entry of Thompson in the mix; his support is at 21 percent compared with 27 percent in June and 35 percent in March.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Presidential-Race-AP-Poll.html