December 22, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Mike Huckabee holds a slight edge in the national race for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in the United States, according to the George Washington University Battleground 2008 poll conducted by Lake Snell Perry and Associates and The Tarrance Group. 24 per cent of respondents would vote for the former Arkansas governor in a primary.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Mike Huckabee holds a slight edge in the national race for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in the United States, according to the George Washington University Battleground 2008 poll conducted by Lake Snell Perry and Associates and The Tarrance Group. 24 per cent of respondents would vote for the former Arkansas governor in a primary.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is a close second with 22 per cent, followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with 16 per cent, Arizona senator John McCain with 15 per cent, and actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with nine per cent. Support is lower for Texas congressman Ron Paul, California congressman Duncan Hunter, and Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo.

On Dec. 20, Romney defended his statement of "seeing" his father—former Michigan governor George Romney—marching with civil rights leader Martin Luther King, saying, "I’m an English literature major as well. When we say, ‘I saw the Patriots win the World Series’, it doesn’t necessarily mean you were there—excuse me, the Super Bowl. I saw my dad become president of American Motors. Did that mean you were there for the ceremony? No, it’s a figure of speech."

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Democratic nominee John Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.

Polling Data

If the Republican primary election for president was held today and you had to make a choice from this list of candidates, for whom would you vote... (Republican respondents only)

Mike Huckabee	24%
Rudy Giuliani	22%
Mitt Romney	16%
John McCain	15%
Fred Thompson	9%
Ron Paul	6%
Duncan Hunter	1%
Tom Tancredo	1%
Not sure	7%

Source: George Washington University Battleground 2008 / Lake Snell Perry and Associates / The Tarrance Group
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 likely American voters, conducted from Dec. 9 to Dec. 12, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.