Fred Thompson

Following the post South Carolina departure of Sen. Fred Thompson from the presidential race, former Assemblyman Guy Gregg, state director of the Thompson campaign in New Jersey, announced today he would throw his support behind Mitt Romney.

"We need a businessman and someone with a fresher perspective outside of Washington," said Gregg, who will recommend to others in the Thompson camp that they back Romney.

A new poll of 380 past Republican voters likely to vote in the Feb. 5th New Jersey primary shows Sen. John McCain leading former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani by 31-26% with 18% for former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney.

Conducted for a private client on Sunday through Tuesday by Neighborhood Research of Franklin, the survey has a theoretical margin of error of +/- 5.0% in 95% of cases.

A poll released today by Rasmussen Reports confirms what a Monmouth University/Gannett poll showed earlier this week: that John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are in a dead heat in New Jersey.

Republican presidential hopeful and New Jersey frontrunner Rudy Giuliani couldn’t catch a break today in Monmouth County.

First, the former New York mayor had to personally withdraw from a fund-raiser in Colts Neck because of flu-like symptoms that put him in the hospital.

The he came in at the bottom of the heap in Clerk Claire French’s ballot drawing ths afternoon for placement on the Feb. 5th primary ballot.

As recently as the American boyhoods of John Kerry, John McCain and George W. Bush, it was nearly impossible to think of becoming president without going through the ritual of combat.

World War II vets threw down a gauntlet that members of the succeeding generation couldn't hope to wield unless they donned uniforms and picked up rifles. But the motif of warrior as leader goes back most vividly and foundationally to Washington.

The general on horseback myth worked so well and the country's early talent pool tested in war went so deep, few men thereafter could assume the chair of presidential power without showing battle stripes. From the country's founding all the way up to 1908, only the elections of 1800 (Adams v. Jefferson), 1844 (Polk v. Clay) and 1861 (Lincoln v. Douglas) failed to feature war hero candidacies.

Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani continue to hold substantial leads in New Jersey’s February 5, 2008 presidential primary, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning.

Among Democrats, Clinton leads Barack Obama by a 46%-20% margin, with 9% to John Edwards. On the Republican side, Giuliani leads Fred Thompson by 36 percentage points – 48%-12%, with 9% for John McCain and 7% for Mitt Romney.

In a general election matchup, Clinton and Giuliani are in a statistical dead-heat, with each candidate at 44%.

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.

Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani continue to be in a statistical dead heat for New Jersey’s fifteen electoral votes, with Giuliani leading 45%-44%, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning. Clinton and Giuliani continue to hold huge leads in the February 5, 2008 presidential primaries.

On the Democratic side, Clinton leads Barack Obama by a 46%-15% margin, with 11% for Al Gore and 7% for John Edwards. In the GOP primary, Giuliani leads Fred Thompson, 45%-12%, with John McCain at 8% and Mitt Romney at 6%.

Rudy Giuliani won 66% of the vote at the Passaic County GOP convention today. Mitt Romney came in second with 17%.: Getty Images Photo
In New Jersey's first open convention of the 2008 campaign, the Passaic County Regular Republican Organization has endorsed Rudy Giulani for President.

Giuliani won 66% of the vote, garnering 77 out of the 117 votes cast. Mitt Romney came in second with 19 votes, followed by John McCain and Fred Thompson with seven each, Ron Paul with four and Mike Huckabee with three. Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, and Tom Tancredo failed to receive any votes.

Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton continue to hold strong leads among New Jersey primary voters, according to a new Strategic Vision poll released today. New Jersey's presidential primary is scheduled for February 5, 2008.

In the Republican primary, Giuliani leads Fred Thompson by a 51%-12% margin, followed by Mitt Romney at 9% and John McCain at 7%.

Among Democrats, Clinton leads Barack Obama, 49%-22%. John Edwards is at 8%.

The poll gives President George W. Bush an upside-down 20%-68% approval rating.