Two Polls Show McCain Ahead Of Huckabee In State By Dan Hoover, Greenville News

January 18, 2008

Greenville News: Two Polls Show McCain Ahead Of Huckabee In State

Romney, Thompson in third-place tie
By Dan Hoover

Two polls released Thursday give Arizona Sen. John McCain seven- and eight-point leads over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee heading into Saturday's South Carolina Republican presidential primary.

In the Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Monday-to-Wednesday tracking poll, McCain had 29 percent to Huckabee's 22 percent.

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson displaced former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for third place, 14 percent to 12 percent, although their numbers were a statistical tie within the plus or minus 3.4 percentage point margin of error.

Also, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas edged ahead of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has all but abandoned his campaign in South Carolina to focus on Florida's Jan. 29 primary. Paul had just over 5 percent, and Giuliani 5 percent, another statistical dead heat.
Undecided respondents numbered 10 percent.

Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling had its Monday night numbers at 28 percent for McCain. Huckabee has 20 percent, and Romney and Thompson had 18 percent and 17 percent respectively, essentially a statistical tie for second. Paul and Giuliani had 4 percent each.
The polls' tracked a Clemson University Poll conducted from Jan. 9 through Wednesday, showing McCain leading Huckabee, 29-22; Romney third at 13 percent; Thompson, fourth, 10 percent; Paul, fifth, 6 percent; and Giuliani, sixth, 3 percent.

Pollster John Zogby said Romney got no discernible bump from Tuesday's victory over McCain in the Michigan primary, and "we are also seeing that any pickup for Thompson hurts Huckabee in this race, which is as close as any we have seen."

PPP's analysis was similar, concluding, "Michigan didn't really do anything to alter the landscape in South Carolina. With some small shifts, everyone is in the same place they were when we polled the race late last week."

The key finding here is that the McCain results are at the same 28 percent, and his lead over Huckabee has increased from seven points to eight. Romney went up one point after winning Michigan.

The big gainer is Fred Thompson, who has campaigned heavily in the state and went from 14 percent to 17 percent.

Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul each dropped a point, going from 5 percent to 4 percent.

Greenville News: Two Polls Show McCain Ahead Of Huckabee In State