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Thompson, Hillary Lead in South Carolina
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fred Thompson is the most popular United States presidential contender for Republican Party supporters in South Carolina, according to a poll by Public Policy Polling. 22 per cent of respondents in the Palmetto State would back the actor and former Tennessee senator in the 2008 primary.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is second with 18 per cent, followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with 17 per cent, and Arizona senator John McCain with 11 per cent. Support is lower for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Kansas senator Sam Brownback, Texas congressman Ron Paul, California congressman Duncan Hunter, and Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo.
In the sample of Democratic Party supporters, New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is first with 36 per cent, followed by Illinois senator Barack Obama with 33 per cent, and former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 12 per cent. Support is lower for New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, Delaware senator Joe Biden, and Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich.
The Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 29, 2008, after the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. The Republican contest in the Palmetto State is expected to take place on Jan. 19.
In 2004, Edwards won the Democratic South Carolina primary with 45 per cent of the vote, followed by Massachusetts senator John Kerry with 30 per cent, reverend Al Sharpton with 10 per cent, Clark with seven per cent, former Vermont governor Howard Dean with five per cent, and Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman with two per cent. Incumbent president George W. Bush won the Republican convention unopposed.
Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next U.S. presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.
Polling Data
Republicans - If the primary were held today which candidate would you support?
Fred Thompson | 22% |
Rudy Giuliani | 18% |
Mitt Romney | 17% |
John McCain | 11% |
Mike Huckabee | 7% |
Sam Brownback | 3% |
Ron Paul | 2% |
Duncan Hunter | 1% |
Tom Tancredo | 1% |
Undecided | 18% |
Democrats - If the caucus were held today which candidate would you support?
Hillary Rodham Clinton | 36% |
Barack Obama | 33% |
John Edwards | 12% |
Bill Richardson | 3% |
Joe Biden | 3% |
Dennis Kucinich | 1% |
Undecided | 12% |
Source: Public Policy Polling
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 749 likely Republican primary voters, and 436 likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina, conducted on Aug. 13, 2007. Margin of error is 3.9 per cent.