Poll: Edwards, Giuliani Viewed Most Favorably

Poll: Edwards, Giuliani Viewed Most Favorably
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- A new survey shows that some familiar faces in the presidential race are viewed most favorably by New Hampshire voters.
Poll: More Results Of Survey
In a WMUR/CNN New Hampshire Presidential Primary Poll released Tuesday, the Democratic candidate with the highest favorability rating was 2004 candidate John Edwards, beating out U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Edwards is the one guy everybody seems to like," said Andy Smith of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, which conducted the poll.
Smith asked 353 likely Democratic primary voters which candidate triggers a favorable impression and which are unfavorable. Calculating the difference gives Edwards a +61 favorability rating. Clinton has a +59, and newcomer Obama has a +55.
Obama drew huge crowds when he visited in December, but Smith said he's third in favorability because he's still relatively unknown among Granite State voters.
"For one visit to the state, he is really quite popular," Smith said.
On the Republican side, 311 likely Republican voters were surveyed, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is by far the most favorable, with a +56 rating. Seventy percent of likely voters had a favorable opinion, and 14 percent had an unfavorable opinion.
Smith said Giuliani is well liked by moderates and independents.
"He's a lesser known candidate, but he has that rock star quality," Smith said. "He has the charisma that he built after Sept. 11, 2001."
Sen. John McCain has a +32 rating and was also popular among moderates and independents. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was next with a +26 rating and scored poorly among independents.
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who hasn't decided whether he'll run, has a -1 rating among likely GOP primary voters.
With a total of 26 possible and announced candidates in both parties, many are largely unknown, leading to low favorability numbers, Smith said.
Leading The RaceThe most favorable candidates aren't necessarily the leaders in the actual race, Smith said. If the Republican primary were held today, the race would be close, according to the poll.
Among likely voters, McCain was leading with 28 percent. Giuliani was a close second with 27 percent, and Romney was third with 13 percent. Gingrich was picked fourth with 9 percent. Thirteen percent said they didn't know for whom they would vote.
On the Democratic side, Clinton was in the lead, with 35 percent of likely primary voters picking her. Obama was second with 21 percent, and Edwards was third with 16 percent.
Smith said interest in the primary was high, even with it almost a year away. Of those polled, 41 percent said they were extremely interested, and 34 percent said they were very interested. Only 4 percent were not interested or didn't know.
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