"Don't Know" Wins Presidential Poll
By California Yankee Posted in 2008 — Comments (29) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Gallup recently conducted a poll, which asked, "Thinking ahead to the election for president in 2008, who would you most like to see elected president?"
The winner - was "don't know:"
Read on.
Beyond the "don't know" category, eight men and women are mentioned spontaneously as desired candidates by 2% or more of Americans as their choice for president in 2008. Two candidates top the list -- New York Sen. Hillary Clinton with 15% of spontaneous mentions and Arizona Sen. John McCain with 11%. The other six mentioned by between 2% and 6% of the people are Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Sen. John Edwards, Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former Vice President Al Gore. Five other individuals are named by 1% -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist (who has formally said he won't run), and former Sec. of State Colin Powell.
When read a list of people who may run for president in 2008 Clinton lead among Democrats. Clinton lead Obama by better than two to one, 31% - 14%. Among Republicans, McCain got 15% followed by Giuliani with 10%.
The poll found Clinton has low cross-appeal to voters who are not Democrats, while McCain and Giuliani appeal to independents and Democrats.
The poll was conducted Nov. 27-29, 2006 and has a margin of error of ±3 percent.
Other than demonstrating that McCain is the most broadly accepted candidate, favored by 62% of Republicans, but also by a very healthy 58% of independents and 48% of Democrats, there is not much value in this poll. The poll only included 11 of the 24 potential 2008 presidential candidates. Obviously most Americans aren't yet focused on the 2008 presidential campaign.
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"Don't Know" Wins Presidential Poll 29 Comments (0 topical, 29 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
What is "no duh", Alex.
I'll take "Things that shouldn't surprise you" for $400.
So it's true 15% of people are idiots:)
Peace through superior fire power:)
Of course "Don't Know" won the poll. They don't know Huckabee yet:
http://mikehuckabeepresident2008.blogspot.com/
I do not see any other social conservative in the running (other than Brownback), so I'm supporting Huckabee.
Huckabee/Pawlenty 2008
And rated him unacceptable at every level of conservatism in the GOPBloggers poll.
The guy is a tax-and-spend, big government governor. He raised taxes in Arkansas, increased spending by 65% during his tenure, and is currently putting in place one of the largest nanny states in the country. He favored a bill (that luckily got defeated) that would have extended the ability to get state-funded scholarships to illegals. He is leading Arkansas down the path of true government-run healthcare (unlike the market-driven, private RomneyCare).
And we're supposed to rally around the guy simply because of... what? His stance on abortion?
The more people know about Huckabee the less they will like him. If you're looking for a true fiscal conservative, you need Giuliani or Romney. If you're looking for a true fiscal and social conservative, you can take Romney if you can believe his evolving view on abortion.
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After the 2006 elections, al Qaeda released a statement saying they were happy Democrats won. That should tell you all you need to know.
I liked Huckabee a lot more when I knew nothing about him. The more I hear, the less I like. He is in my Hagel/Pataki/McCain zone of complete unacceptability.
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
But who cares about presidential polls right now?
Shouldn't we be discussing Robert Gates getting confirmed, saying that we aren't winning in Iraq, etc?
And there are blog entries that are discussing the Gates testimony; feel free to comment in one of them, or start your own.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
Heavy M, what a pantload of horse hockey that was that you spewed out here! For every tidbit of near-truth in your comments there is a mountain of facts that support Governor Huckabee's positon as a strong social and pragmatic fiscal conservative. Things like:
1) He inherited a crumbling infrastructure that was harming the state's economy and oversaw a massive highway and bridge rebuilding program which he personally sold to the taxpayers (they had rejected the same plan when Huckabee's Dem predecessor Jim Guy Tucker tried to pass it because they didnt trust a Dem with $5 billion). It was completed on time and on-budget, taking Arkansas from having the worst roads in America to among the best.
2) He navigated an enourmous increase in education spending that was mandated by the Arkansas Supreme Court, creating the most dynamic improvements in Arkansas childrens' test scores and the largest number of new college enrollees in the state's history.
3) The Arkansas constitution requires that all children, documented or not, attend public primary schools. Many of these children were born in America...making them US citizens. Huckabee believes that if these children graduate from High Schools they are required to attend, and are academically eligible for scholarships, they should be permitted to apply for them. Arkansas' bigoted Democratic ledge disagreed, but guess what? Every college in the state started doing it anyway...because its the right thing to do. Huckabee believes border security is necessary to stop illegal immigration, but he also believes that once they have gotten in, they should be treated with basic human dignity. Some people, like you perhaps, disagree.
I could on, but instead I encourage thinking Americans to visit our blog..or better yet Huckabee's official PAC and state sites to learn the truth for yourselves.
http://www.mikehuckabeepresident2008.blogspot.com
BSR
In a "pragmatic fiscal conservative" that really knew how spend loads of money and raise taxes to cover the tab, I would just vote for HRC. If I was interested in a "compassionate conservative" that thought illegal immigrants have some right to higher education in a country they have no right residing in (hence "illegal"), I would just vote for HRC.
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
In the mold of Arnold Schwarzenegger, anyway. They always seem to be calling that guy fiscally conservative.
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
that's what a fiscal conservative looks like. Since we're not voting for a national office, though, I expect a little less broad of a definition.
It seems to me that the way the term is used, "fiscal conservative" almost means "void-to-harmful on cultural issues."
And if Gov. Schwarzenegger gets that label, then you can drop the 'almost', because he's what a real spender looks like (as opposed to the Republicans in Washington). Oh yes, and he said he'd raise taxes as soon as polls supported him on it.
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It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones. -- Calvin Coolidge
... but Romney is a flip-flop on abortion. I can trust Huckabee though. (I can also trust McCain on abortion, but that's one of the few issues where McCain is good).
Giuliani would not make it past the primaries.
You mean he's only flipped on it a couple of times, but at least he did those flips in the span of a month, right?
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
2008 will be a Presidential election without an incumbent President or a Vice President running. It's an open field with candidates building up a base while trying to develop name recognition.
There is plenty of time for a good man to arrive on the scene. We all know that is what the RINO contenders are terrified of. SO LOL!
please inform me.
Who would you consider to be an acceptable candidate, given the current field?
_______________________________
If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"?
Mike Huckabee is a good man, but I think he would make a terrible candidate in the general election.
First of all, as a supposed Conservative, he has a poor record as Governor, he raised taxes and the minimum wage. Spending soared in the State of Arkansas under his tenure.
He also went out of his way to shield illegal immigrants from law enforcement, he even wanted to offer college scholarships to illegals.
I'm not going to turn a blind eye to all this just because the man opposes abortion.
Is that all the Republican Party stands for?
The Republicans don't need a former Southern Baptist preacher to be their Presidential nominee.
Even as Christian I can understand people being turned off by a preacher-turned-politician.
"Back in the thirties we were told we must collectivize the nation because the people were so poor. Now we are told we must collectivize the nation because the people are so rich. "
William F. Buckley, Jr.
Abortion is the single most important political issue -- both Dems and Reps know it.
What is the single most important institution that we are fighting to control politically? The Supreme Court.
What is the single most important issue that SCOTUS can affect? Abortion.
It's all about abortion. Every SCOTUS candidate is vetted and grilled regarding abortion issues. The reason why a Republican Senate majority is needed because of the issue of abortion. The reason why we need a Republican president is because he chooses SCOTUS candidates who in turn would decide on the issue of abortion.
The Dems can appear to be bipartisan and even fiscally conservative, but one issue they won't back down from is abortion (it is a sacred dogma). The Dems know better than the Reps. that abortion is the main political issue.
involved in the GWOT?
Abortion is the most important issue to you.
That doesn't make it the most important issue.
The only reason it's on the issue list at all is because judicial nominations are important. Those are important not because of abortion per se, but because we must return to black letter law not black robed law.
Roe will soon be history. Then the abortion question can be fought at the state level.
With respect to the critical issues, look at judicial nominations, GWOT, entitlement spending (not earmarks), and the reach of government.
_______________________________
If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"?
on economic policy.
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
http://gamecock.townhall.com
Hillary will have an identity problem since she has so many names. Will voters know what name to look for?
Hillary
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham
Dick Morris predicted that if she wins the Presidency she will be strictly Hillary Rodham. I agree but hope it doesn't come to that.
If you always find yourself arguing the exceptions rather than the rule you just might be rapidly sliding down your own slippery slope to irrelevance. -CommonCents
decides to marry in Massachusetts and take the name of her spouse?
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
http://gamecock.townhall.com
of republicans I would be willing to vote for.
Top Las Vegas sports oddsmaker Wayne Root has been raising his political profile as of late. A self-describd "Jewish Libertarian Repubican," he just came out with an editorial on why the GOP needs to reach out to the Center and to Fiscal Conservatives, while playing down the Religious Conservative angle for 2008. Root has a current bestselling book, "Republican Millionaire."
Root is also upset over the Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. Some in the libertarian Republican community that we could see the makings of a Root candidacy for the GOP primaries, if for no other reason than to bring the IGEA issue to the fore.
For my money, no pun intended, at this point he seems to be the best choice.
Eric Dondero
www.mainstreamlibertarian.com
are a pretty rare breed. There's always been a disconnect between the public polls and the GOPBlogger straw polls, showing that the public just mentions names they are familiar with and we bloggers look more at the issues, personalities, electability, etc.
It will be interesting to see the disconnect between the general public and the blogging world grow smaller as the candidates get their names, platforms, and personalities out there more.
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After the 2006 elections, al Qaeda released a statement saying they were happy Democrats won. That should tell you all you need to know.