FOX Poll: Rudy in 2008? Giuliani Tops 'Strong Leader' List

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,171340,00.html

10/05/05 FOX Poll: Rudy in 2008? Giuliani Tops 'Strong Leader' List

NEW YORK — After the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center (search), then New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (search) was commonly referred to as "America’s Mayor." The latest FOX News poll finds that many Americans remember Giuliani's leadership in a time of crisis and rate him higher than several other potential 2008 presidential contenders as a "strong and decisive leader." In addition to candidate attributes, the new poll also looks at some possible presidential matchups for the next election.

Almost two-thirds of voters (65 percent) think Giuliani is a "strong and decisive leader," and majorities think that characterization also applies to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., (56 percent), Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice (55 percent), President Bush (51 percent) and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. (51 percent). Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and former Vice President Al Gore (search) come in well below the others, with majorities saying the term "strong and decisive leader" does not apply to them.

In pre-election polling, Bush consistently bested Democratic challenger Kerry on the strong leader quality. In this week’s poll, 51 percent say they think Bush is a strong leader and 46 percent say he is not, while 35 percent think the term describes Kerry and 56 percent disagree.

Among Democrats, 76 percent think the term "strong leader" applies to Clinton, 60 percent to Kerry and 45 percent to Gore. Just over half of Democrats think the trait is true for McCain (52 percent) and Giuliani (51 percent), while fewer than one in five think so for Bush (16 percent).