Giuliani, Clinton maintain leads in double digits
Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton find '08 standings unshaken.
WASHINGTON -- Eight weeks before the opening Iowa caucuses, Rudy Giuliani is holding on to significant support among social conservatives and a double-digit lead in the Republican presidential field, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds.
The former New York mayor continues to defy predictions by conservative Christian leaders and others that his support of abortion rights and gay rights would make him unacceptable to "values voters." Just 7% of those Republicans who call themselves conservative on moral issues say they definitely won't vote for him.
Meanwhile, among Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton's formidable standing is unshaken despite escalating criticism by her rivals and disappointing reviews of her performance at last week's debate. The New York senator is backed by 50% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, compared with 22% for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and 15% for former New Carolina senator John Edwards.
The Democratic race "is a locomotive with Hillary Clinton's face on it," political analyst Charlie Cook says. "On the Republican side, it looks like the TV show Survivor."
Among key findings in the survey, taken Friday through Sunday:
•Despite Clinton's lead, she has significant vulnerabilities. Her unfavorable rating, 45%, is a dozen points higher than that of any other contender. Forty-four percent of those surveyed say they would definitely not vote for her; 40% rule out voting for Obama.
By 2-1, Democrats say they would rather nominate a candidate with "a strong desire to change the system" in Washington — Obama's fundamental argument — over one with "many years of experience getting things done."
•While Giuliani's standing has been relatively steady, now at 34%, the race to challenge him is roiling. Arizona Sen. John McCain moves into second place for the first time since June at 18%, edging former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson by a single point. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is fourth at 14% and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is at 6%.
