War on Terror: Giuliani and McCain Get Higher Ratings than Dem Candidates

Rudy Giuliani, Mayor of New York on 9/11, and Senator John McCain, Vietnam War hero, are both seen as more likely to do well fighting the war on terror than Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards.

These are some of the results of a Harris Poll of 2,372 adults surveyed online between June 5 and 11, 2007 by Harris Interactive(r).

Key findings in this Harris Poll include:

* President Bush's ratings on handling the war on terror are lower among younger people (77% negative among Echo Boomers - those ages 18 to 31) than among GenXers (those 31 to 42; 67% negative), Baby Boomers (those 43 to 61; 69% negative) or Matures (those 62 and older; 67% negative);

* President Bush's numbers are also worse among African Americans (88% negative) and Hispanics (80% negative) than among Whites (65% negative);

* The President's negative ratings are predictably much worse among Democrats (93%) and Independents (76%) than among Republicans (only 37%);

* Rudy Giuliani (45% positive, 35% negative) and John McCain (42% positive, 35% negative) are the only two of the leading Republican or Democratic candidates who have positive ratings over 34 percent on how they would do fighting the war on terror;

* Hillary Clinton (34% positive, 51% negative) and Barack Obama (34% positive, 42% negative) are clearly vulnerable on this issue. John Edwards (29% positive, 47% negative) is even more vulnerable;

* The two other leading Republicans, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney, are perceived very differently on this issue, although over 40 percent are not sure about either of them. Thompson's positive (28%) and negative (27%) ratings are virtually identical. Romney's are much worse (19% positive, 39% negative).

Talk Show America 6/20/2007