by Mark Silva
A “treat’’ for Rudy Giuliani today, and a “trick’’ for Hillary Clinton: That’s what the people at the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute are offering the presidential candidates for Halloween. And maybe a goblin for the Republican Party this time next year: George Bush.
Giuliani, riding a see-saw with Clinton in recent national surveys by the Connecticut-based pollsters, holds a slim lead – 45 to 43 percent – in the latest poll released today. This, for sure, is a statistical tie – much like the slim 46-43 advantage that Clinton held in the last Quinnipiac survey.
But Giuliani had held a 49-40 percentage point advantage over Clinton in May. And Clinton’s favorable ratings have slipped in the latest survey released today – with surveyed voters split. Clinton’s already troubled favorable ratings have slipped in this survey too – with American voters split 46-46 in their positive and negative views toward the senator from New York. It was 48 favorable, 43 unfavorable in August.
“Sen. Clinton’s success on the campaign trail and the perception that she is unstoppable has made her the prime target for all the other candidates, Republican and Democratic. And the wounds are showing,” says Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “The Clinton Express has hit a bump. Future polls will show if it’s been derailed.”
Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois holds much the same position in a theoretical match-up with Giuliani: Obama 43, Giuliani 42 – though he and other Democratic rivals lag far behind Clinton (Clinton 47, Obama 21 in this poll’s survey of Democrats)
The Democrats do have one thing going for them, according to this survey: George Bush. Voters surveyed say, by a wide margin, that the president’s own low approval ratings will make it difficult for a Republican to be elected next year. The judgment is 58-37 on that question. Even among Republicans, Quinnipiac notes, the judgment is 48-48 that Bush has made the upcoming election difficult for his own party.
“Very bad news for Republicans: Most Americans think President Bush’s poor standing in the polls will make it hard for any Republican to be elected President,’’ Carroll says. “Even Republicans split 48 – 48 percent on this one.’’
For more, see the poll.
• 
• 
• 
Comments
Say it isn't so. Hillary's campaign may be derailed? We need her as the Democratic candidate. Democrats, disregard those polls and nominate her. Please. From: Friends of Hillary at the RNC.
Posted by: Dick C. | October 31, 2007 9:58 AM
Not to worry dick,
Thanks to the incompetent thugs in the White House and the Republican party in general, Hillary could probably start measuring for Oval Office drapes right now.
Posted by: Gibster | October 31, 2007 10:08 AM
Prediction: Guiliani defeats the Queen B and it won't even be that close. Half the country doesn't like her and that will not change, certainly not after 16 years of her being in the spotlight.
Posted by: John D | October 31, 2007 10:56 AM
"There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, a verb and 9/11."
I hope that fool George Bush injects himself into the campaign so the GOP will get the beating they so richly deserve!
Posted by: Alberto G | October 31, 2007 11:01 AM
Guiliani defeats the Queen???
In the very words of Mr. Bush, "bring it on!"
I can't wait until Guiliani has to answer to his 9/11 questions? Where was he when he refuse to serve on the 9/11 panel? AWOL.
Noun. Verb. 911.
Posted by: Lou | October 31, 2007 11:13 AM
The Quinnipiac poll is suspect pushed by the driveby media.
Let's focus: W is not on next year's ballot. 07 issues will not be 08 especially fall 08 issues.
The Democrats could have won in 08 if they hadn't won in 06 and squandered their chance to govern.
In fact, it is now quite clear that the Democrats are very good at one thing not governing.
The cast of Democrat characters: Harry Reid, our own Dickie Durbin, Senator Depends Leahy, Senator Chuckie Schemer,Charles Rangel( I can give you the mother of all tax increases $1.3 trillion)Henry(Ugly Face) Waxman(700 Oversight hearings and counting)John Conyers clueless, Ram Rod Emmanuel( I'll say or do anything to get Jackasses elected).
Sorry there are many more but they are all against everything and they are definitely obstructionists.
Hil looks like Nurse Ratchet definitely not nurturing. She flip flops and her negatives equal her positives not a good sign for victory.
Thanks Democrats for a year of meanness and gridlock.
The poll is dead wrong the frontrunner GOP Presidential nominee by the fall of 08 will win.Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | October 31, 2007 11:44 AM
"MEANWHILE"
THE TOP GOP REPUBLICANS SPEAK. MAYBE, MAYBE, NOT ON SCHIP.
A BLUNT AND A BOEHNER WELL WE ALL KNOW THAT EQUALS A CRACK FELT MOMENT SO CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL THESE TWO TOP REPUBLICANS ITS ONLY 455 DAYS LEFT SO GO GET A DRINK AND JUST SHUT YOUR LOG CABIN NECKS!
THESE TWO MEN CONTROL HEALTHCARE IN AMERICA AND MAKE JOKE AND COMMENT ABOUT IT AS THOUGH THEY ARE JOHN AND ABRAHAM!
BUT INTOXICATED!
Posted by: Roger Morris | October 31, 2007 1:29 PM
The poll is dead wrong the frontrunner GOP Presidential nominee by the fall of 08 will win.Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | October 31, 2007 11:44 AM
When pigs can fly Jerry!!!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | October 31, 2007 1:53 PM
Prediction:
Hilliary beats Rudy once the American people find out once and for all the real story behind Rudy and 9/11.
Like the radios that did not work, and putting the emergency communications in the WTC instead of somewhere that was less of a target, as was suggested by everyone else. But Rudy had to pay back a contributor, so it went into the WTC with disasterous consequences.
Noun, verb, 9/11. What a great slogan to use against Rudy!!!!
Posted by: BobinATL | October 31, 2007 2:04 PM
More examples of the horror movie "28 Groundhog Days," the story of Loony Left Kook Zombies who repeat the same maniacal nonsense day after day:
"Noun, verb, 9/11. Noun, verb, 9/11. Noun, verb, 9/11. Noun, verb, 9/11."
Posted by: John D | October 31, 2007 2:59 PM
A Tale of Two Polls:
Quinnipiace poll #1, "the last Quinnipiac survey" before the one reported on above. As reporter Mark Silva reports above, it had Clinton slightly ahead of Giuliani, but was a "statistical tie". The Swamp headline on this poll story? All about Clinton's slight lead: "Clinton gaining strength in presidential field".
Poll #2, above: Same Quinnipiac poll, with the reverse result--Giuliani holding a slight lead over Clinton, but again, a statistical tie.
The Swamp headline: "Giuliani ahead"? "Giuliani gaining strength"? Of course not. When a Democrat has a slight edge in a poll, the headline is "Democrat has slight edge". When a Republican has exactly the same slight edge in exactly the same poll, the headline avoids the words "Republican" and "lead" like the plague.
The bias is just so obvious.
And as usual, bring on the illiterate attack poodles, who don't attack the bias, but instead attack the person who points out the bias.
Posted by: bruce | October 31, 2007 4:32 PM
Ron Paul is going to win, he voted against eh War in Iraq and he is a Republican while Hilliary who is a democrat voted for the War.
Posted by: Mike | October 31, 2007 7:14 PM
Clinton is definitely going to come out of the pounding by her fellow democrats stronger and will jump a head in the lead in polls in the coming week. I hope she never, ever give a vp spot to anyone of those cowards
Posted by: boby gabriel | November 1, 2007 4:30 AM
"When a Republican has exactly the same slight edge in exactly the same poll, the headline avoids the words "Republican" and "lead" like the plague."
Posted by: bruce | October 31, 2007 4:32 PM
That's because republicans suck and deserve to be beaten. You on the other hand sound like a school kid that got their lunch money stolen. Every day the same comment blah, blah, blah. You sound like a broken record.
Posted by: Dick Clark | November 1, 2007 4:34 PM