Polls, Paul and the Iraq War

Here are a couple of notable polling results from the Rasmussen Poll this week. One is Iraq Troop Withdrawal 11/13/07:

A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 61% of Americans would like to see U.S. troops brought home from Iraq within a year. For the second week in a row, that figure is up two points from the week before. Over the last eleven weeks, the number wanting troops home within a year has ranged from a low of 57% to a high of 64%.

Meaning: unless they are planning to fight seriously for the Electoral College votes of Texas and Mississippi, the Democratic Presidential candidates should be coming out hard, clearly and often in opposition to the Iraq War. Sixty-one percent!

The other is Election 2008: Clinton 42% Giuliani 39% Ron Paul 8% 11/14/07:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found Hillary Clinton leading Rudy Giuliani by three percentage points in a four-way race that includes Ron Paul running as a Libertarian candidate and Ralph Nader representing the Green Party. The poll shows Clinton earning 42% of the vote while Giuliani attracts 39%. Ron Paul is the choice for 8%, Ralph Nader is preferred by 4% and 7% are not sure. ...

Perhaps because of his position on the War in Iraq, Paul attracts more support from Democrats than Republicans. He also earns 14% of the vote from unaffiliated voters. (my emphasis)

Meaning: Ron Paul is a Republican Congressman. The most valuable service he and the Paulians could provide his Party would be to pull enough antiwar votes in a "third party" (really shadow Republican Party) campaign to throw the election to the Republican nominee. That "perhaps" also suggests that Rasmussen's poll didn't get at the particular issues that were decisive for Paul's potential voters.

Tags: 2008 elections, iraq war, ron paul

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