GOP Pick is ‘None of the Above’

July 17, 2007 -- When asked their presidential choice in the latest AP/Ipsos Poll, Republicans selected “none of the above” most often, reflecting a lackluster field of GOP candidates that aren’t catching on with the American people. As the Associated Press reports, the “dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight” and “uneven enthusiasm about the fields” as the American people express enthusiasm with the Democratic field.

AP Poll: GOP Pick is ‘None of the Above’

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Below are excerpts of the Associated Press piece. To view the entire story, click here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3384402

“And the leading Republican presidential candidate is ... none of the above. The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Such dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight...

“A half year before voting begins, the survey shows the White House race is far more wide open on the Republican side than on the Democratic. The uneven enthusiasm about the fields also is reflected in fundraising in which Democrats outraised Republicans $80 million to $50 million from April through June, continuing a trend from the year's first three months…More Republicans have become apathetic about their options over the past month. A hefty 23 percent can't or won't say which candidate they would back, a jump from the 14 percent who took a pass in June.

“Giuliani's popularity continued to decline steadily as he faced a spate of headline headaches, came under increased scrutiny and saw the potential entry of Thompson in the mix; his support is at 21 percent compared with 27 percent in June and 35 percent in March…None of the top candidates has a clear lead among Christian evangelicals, a critical part of the GOP base that has had considerable sway in past Republican primaries. Giuliani, a thrice-married backer of abortion rights and gay rights, had 20 percent support roughly even with Thompson and McCain who have one divorce each in their pasts. Romney, a Mormon who has been married for three decades, was in the single digits.”

Source: DNC