Obama Gains Ground Over Thompson and Giuliani

[Ron Burgundy]

Rasmussen Reports - Senator Barack Obama, the second-ranked contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, has improved his standing against the GOP frontrunners, former Senator Fred Thompson and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of these match-ups shows Senator Obama now leading Giuliani by six points, 47% to 41%. A month ago, Giuliani had a three-point lead.

Obama also has a six-point edge over Senator Thompson, who has all but declared his candidacy. Obama now leads Thompson 46% to 40%, after leading by just a couple points last month. When we first polled this match-up in March, Thompson lagged Obama by 12 points.

A separate survey found that 29% of voters say they will definitely vote for Obama if he is on the ballot in 2008. Thirty-seven percent (37%) will definitely vote against him.

Twenty-five percent (25%) will definitely vote for Thompson while 34% will definitely vote against. The numbers for Giuliani are 22% for and 39% against.

Thompson's testing of the political waters has definitely made a splash. The actor-politician has been at the top of the polls for the GOP nomination along with Giuliani since early in June. There have been recent reports of friction in the Thompson campaign, but nothing to compare to the traumas suffered by the John McCain campaign.

Fred Thompson is now viewed favorably by 46%, unfavorably by 26%. Twenty-eight percent (28%) aren't ready to give an opinion of him.

Rudy Giuliani is viewed favorably by 56%, unfavorably by 37%. Only 7% have no definite impression of him.

Barack Obama is viewed favorably by 53%, unfavorably by 41%.

This national telephone survey of 1,472 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports July 23-24, 2007. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2.6 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/rasmussen/20070728/pl_rasmussen/obamavthomsponandgiuliani20070727620070728 [link]