October 5, 2007 - 11:44am

Rudy and Hillary hold big N.J. leads

Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani continue to hold substantial leads in New Jersey's February 5, 2008 presidential primaries, according to a new Strategic Vision poll released today. Clinton leads Barack Obama by a 52%-21% margin among Democrats (John Edwards is at 7% and Bill Richardson at 5%), while Republicans give Giuliani a 53%-11% advantage over Fred Thompson. John McCain and Mitt Romney each have 7%.

In New Jersey, President George W. Bush has an upside-down overall job approval rating of 18%-71%. Seven out of ten voters disapprove of his handling of the economy, 69% disapprove of his handling of the war in Iraq, and 57% want a U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq within six mohths. But New Jersey voters, by a 49%-41% margin, approve of Bush's handling of the war on terrorism.

Congress has an overall approval upside-down approval rating of 15%-73% in New Jersey.

Among Republicans, 58% want a presidential candidate to be a conservative in the "mode of Ronald Reagan."

Comments

It Doesn't Have to Be This Way


As grassroots activists, progressive, conservative or otherwise, we don't have to accept these poll numbers as giving the race to Hillary and Rudy, several months before the first votes are cast in Iowa and before our 5 February primary. Grassroots activism, as the Obama, Paul and Edwards campaigns are doing, can make a difference in candidates getting attention and a shot in the election, and many of us on the Democratic side are actually less compelled, not moreso, to support Hillary because she has establishment support behind her.

This campaign isn't over, these two candidates are not the de facto, inevitable nominees, the media cannot and should not coronate the Democratic and Republican nominees because they see fit to do so (and have vested interests in doing so), and other platforms and views should be part of the election process.

10/06/07 10:52 am