(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States trust Republican Rudy Giuliani to handle terrorism, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 69 per cent of respondents express a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in the former New York City mayor to manage the issue.

The survey asked respondents to rate the way seven U.S. presidential hopefuls would deal with four key topics. Democratic Illinois senator Barack Obama had the highest ranking on handling the economy with 62 per cent, while 55 per cent of respondents trust Giuliani and Republican Arizona senator John McCain to deal with the war in Iraq. Democratic New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was the top choice on health care, with 65 per cent.

At least half of respondents express confidence in former Democratic North Carolina senator John Edwards to handle three of the four topics, while the rating was lower for two Republicans: former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson.

On Jul. 26, Giuliani called the Democrats "the party of losers" for their proposals to deal with the war in Iraq, adding, "It's really strange. The Democrats want to give our enemies a timetable. Never in history of war has a retreating army been asked to give a timetable."

On Aug. 1, Obama discussed his views on terrorism, saying, "We did not finish the job against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. We did not develop new capabilities to defeat a new enemy, or launch a comprehensive strategy to dry up the terrorists' base of support. We did not reaffirm our basic values, or secure our homeland. Instead, we got a colour-coded politics of fear."

Polling Data

Please tell me how much confidence you have in each of the following to do or to recommend the right thing for (the economy / the war in Iraq / handling terrorism / the health care system)?
("Great deal / Fair amount" listed)

Archive Search

Over 19,600 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.