Decision ‘08

New AP/Ipsos Poll: Thompson Cutting Into Rudy’s Lead

It’s still Rudy in front, but Thompson has cut his lead down in the latest 2008 poll. Indeed, Thompson has also cut into McCain and Gingrich, but it’s Rudy who has lost the most ground. Thompson is running a strong third in this one, with 17% support, behind Rudy’s 27 and McCain’s 19.

The question for Thompson becomes this: what happens (a) when he gets on stage with the other candidates, and (b) when the ‘new guy’ flavor wears off and he quits getting a free ride from the press and the other candidates?…

8 Responses to “New AP/Ipsos Poll: Thompson Cutting Into Rudy’s Lead”

1 Ryan Bonneville Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Well, if there’s one thing Americans like, it’s guys who know how to act like tough guys without actually BEING tough guys. That sure seems to be the only explanation for how George Bush, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson can end up at the top of the heap. Chickenhawks all, with the mind-bending exception of Kerry, who’s just plain chicken.
2 Mark Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Chickenhawks? Dear me…well, I’ll let Christopher Hitchens dispel with that bit of nonsense…
3 Ryan Bonneville Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Oh please, I have nothing against armchair generals. My point is that those folks are all very good at wearing a veneer of toughness when they are anything but. George Bush is a coward who used daddy to avoid service in Vietnam, Kerry called the US military rapists, and the other three all wave around various hawkish slogans to cover up for the fact that they’re basically selling an image rather than a substance. Of the five of them, I feel I may have been slightly unfair to Hillary. On occasion, she seems like she actually has a core of something.
4 Bob from Ohio Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Ryan:

George Bush is a coward

I think you should retract that statement. It is libelous.

Unless you served, the same could be said of you. Even if you did serve, did you volunteer for combat? No. Why not?

Even if you did serve, did you fly a F-102?

Regardless, the F-102 was still far more dangerous to fly than today’s combat aircraft. Compared to the F-102’s lifetime accident rate of 13.69, today’s planes generally average around 4 mishaps per 100,000 hours. For example, compare the F-16 at 4.14, the F-15 at 2.47, the F-117 at 4.07, the S-3 at 2.6, and the F-18 at 4.9. Even the Marine Corps’ AV-8B, regarded as the most dangerous aircraft in US service today, has a lifetime accident rate of only 11.44 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours. The F-102 claimed the lives of many pilots, including a number stationed at Ellington during Bush’s tenure. Of the 875 F-102A production models that entered service, 259 were lost in accidents that killed 70 Air Force and ANG pilots.

No. Why not?
5 Ryan Bonneville Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I don’t care if it’s libelous. And, if drafted, I would serve. Also, the fact that I’m a coward has no bearing on George Bush’s cowardice. I’ll admit mine right up front.
6 Ryan Bonneville Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
It may also be worth noting that I generally oppose wars built on lies and political calculation, so my Vietnam and Iraq service may be less of an issue. If you’d like me to swap out “George Bush is a coward” with “George Bush is a moral cretin and completely unfit for office,” I’m sure we could arrange a trade.
7 Mark Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Ryan, with all due respect, you’ve completely gone off the deep end with your Bush hatred. Rant away, but at least be aware that you are ranting…
8 Ryan Bonneville Says:
June 13th, 2007 at 7:57 am
Mark, the most troubling thing to me is there are still people who HAVEN’T gone off the deep end. By all accounts, the man directed the Justice Department to use US Attorneys in the service of the Republican Party. I don’t even have to add in the lies about Iraq, the wiretapping, or anything else - that alone is enough for impeachment. The man is, if not a criminal, at least a suspect. Where is the investigation?