With only days to go before South Carolinians vote in the South's first primary of this election cycle, McCain widens his lead, but the rumored "Thompson surge" is showing up in the polls, according to Rasmussen Reports:
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows McCain at 28%, Huckabee at 19%, Mitt Romney at 17%, and Fred Thompson at 16%. Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul are tied with 5% support. Giuliani is betting his entire campaign on a strong showing in Florida, where he is now tied for the lead with three others.The current results show McCain getting some breathing room in South Carolina. The previous South Carolina poll, conducted the night after McCain's victory in New Hampshire, had McCain at 27% and Huckabee at 24%. Before the New Hampshire vote, Huckabee was leading McCain by seven points.
Read it all at the above link. Every one of the top five GOP candidates has led SC polls at one point or another, with Giuliani, Romney, and Thompson taking turns through the fall. Huckabee suddenly took the lead after winning Iowa, but McCain came back after his victory in New Hampshire. The state remains up for grabs with at least 8% undecided and another 11% saying they could change their minds before voting.
A McCain win in Michigan might seal the deal for him, if the pattern holds. A Romney triumph would be more difficult to measure, as he pulled staff from the state and stopped advertising last week (after spending an estimated $3 million on TV ads already). Huckabee winning Michigan would be a huge upset, which could also give him the late boost he needs here.
Permalink | Send To A Friend | Linking Blogs | Digg this!
Filed under:
2008 Presidential Race, Polls, Primaries, Republican, South Carolina
Tags: poll, presidential campaign, Republicans, South Carolina
