Following on his analysis of next year's general election, John McCain's campaign has released this poll showing how he stacks up with Rudy Giuliani in a hypothetical general election race against Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Unlike his fake election article predicting victory over Clinton, his campaign's own map shows him trailing her in enough key states to lose the election. But McCain's argument is that he can compete with her better than Giuliani, winning in Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky and running closer in Minnesota, Michigan and Missouri. 
The only two states where Giuliani bests McCain in a head-to-head with Clinton are New York and California, and in both of those states Clinton beats both of them easily.
If Giuliani can't make a close race in those two major states or win other "swing" states like Minnesota, it would puncture his major appeal to many Republicans — his claim that he can carry the Republican brand to states where it hasn't been popular for years.
Still, it's an incomplete picture McCain provides. It leaves out states such as New Jersey, where Giuliani's popularity probably makes him a far better candidate than McCain.
— Stephen Dinan, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (3)
This map included every survey done at the time by Survey USA. Rather than pick and choose among pollsters, it is important to stick with one polling firm.
When the other states are polled they should be added to the map.
Also, Survey USA posted on their website making it clear they have not been hired by the McCain campaign. Their polls are independent.
Posted by John Yob | November 3, 2007 12:33 PM
Let's not get too caught up in these VERY early head-to-head polling numbers for the general election. They're really nothing more than a measure of name recognition at this point. The idea that Republicans ought to be making their primary decision on the basis of some name-recognition general election poll such as this one is ridiculous. Maybe McCain can spend some more time trying to figure out how to act like he's siding with the conservatives in his own party -- that would get him a lot farther to becoming relevant again in the nomination fight than these kinds of press releases.
Posted by D | November 4, 2007 11:17 AM
Illegal immigration will become the defining issue of the race. The records of both Giuliani and McCain are extremely poor on this issue. The Republicans will need someone that presents a sharp contrast with Clinton on illegal immigration to energize the base and those who usually do not vote. I for one will not vote for another Republican like George Bush who is for amnesty. It matters little to me if the amnesty is before or after our borders our secured.
Posted by Paul H. Lortie | November 4, 2007 12:49 PM