McCain Occupies Odd Poll-Position For Frontrunner

Rich Lowry is perplexed that John McCain, frontrunner for the GOP nomination, is currently running front of everyone... except Rudy Guiliani, who tops him 34%-22% in the latest FoxNews/OpinionBlahBlah poll.

JPod explains these strange results to him:

Rich, McCain is in second place because he's not the frontrunner.

I was told there would be no math on this internets.

The article is here. Now, I'm just a "very smart military blogger" so all this math and political stuff doesn't really make sense to me, but isn't it hard to keep saying "Rudy can't win the Republican nomination" when polls of Republicans keep putting him in first place or a close second?

Among self-identified Republicans, Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain continue to lead the pack: 34 percent support Giuliani and 22 percent McCain. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is unannounced but appears to be considering a run, captures the third slot with 15 percent.

...

• Giuliani puts the largest number of voters at ease: two-thirds of voters (65 percent) say they would be at least somewhat "comfortable" with Giuliani as president, 58 percent McCain, 56 percent Edwards, 53 percent Clinton, 48 percent Obama and 21 percent Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney. Still, only 8 percent express complete comfort in a Giuliani presidency.

• Among Republicans, 83 would be comfortable with Giuliani in the White House, 75 percent McCain and 30 percent Romney. Among Democrats, 84 percent would be comfortable with Clinton as president, 70 percent Edwards and 60 percent Obama.

• Overall, when looking at just those saying they would be "extremely" comfortable, it is Clinton who tops the list with 12 percent compared to 8 percent for Giuliani, 6 percent McCain, 6 percent Obama, 4 percent Edwards and 1 percent Romney. While Clinton has the highest number saying they are "extremely" comfortable with her in the White House, she also has the most saying they are "not at all" comfortable (33 percent).

34% in a divided field with four serious candidates is not peanuts.

Don't actual Republicans sort of know what they find acceptable and unacceptabe in a candidate? Don't their opinions matter?

Or perhaps these mercenaries -- oops, I mean Republican voters -- should just keep their mouths shut and accept that American hates them.

posted by Ace at 05:30 PM

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