Rudy Giuliani Falls to Fourth in Iowa, Pro-Abortion Stance Upsets 75%

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 9, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Rudy Giuliani Falls to Fourth in Iowa, Pro-Abortion Stance Upsets 75% Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 9,
2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A new poll sponsored by the Des Moines Register newspaper finds former mayor Rudy Giuliani falling to fourth in the first presidential battleground. Additional questions of likely caucus-goers by the newspaper finds 75 percent of Republicans are turned off by his pro-abortion stance.

The newspaper surveyed like voters from October 1-3 and released the results Monday.

The survey found former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney well out in front with the backing of 29 percent of GOP voters who say they will likely participate in the caucus.

Another 18 percent support former Sen. Fred Thompson, but the poll shows former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with the support of 12 percent and Giuliani falling to fourth with only 11 percent.

Part of the reason for Giulaini’s drop in the standings in Iowa, which can make or break a presidential campaign, has to do with his pro-abortion views.

Asked for their concerns about voting for a particular candidate, 55 percent of Republican voters in Iowa said the fact that Giuliani "supports abortion rights" is a "major factor" in preventing them for voting for him. Another 20 percent said abortion is a "minor factor."

Drake University professor Dennis Goldford talked with Campaigns and Elections magazine about the numbers.

"[Romney’s] Iowa-centric strategy still seems to be going according to plan," he said. "Giuliani hasn’t been [in Iowa] much and [support] seems to have softened."

Goldford said Huckabee appears to be the only candidate breaking into the upper echelon from the minor candidates at the bottom of the polls and "if anyone from that second tier is going to emerge…it’s Huckabee."

Romney held steady from the last Register poll in May, moving from 30 to 29 percent. Huckabee surged from 4 to 12 percent and Giuliani declined to 11 from 17 in May. Thompson was not included in the may survey because he hadn’t declared a bid yet.

Another new Iowa political survey seems to support the Register’s results.

An Insider Advantage poll has Romney in front with 24 percent and Giuliani second with just 16 percent of the Iowa vote. Thompson and Huckabee are tied with 13 percent in that poll.