Giuliani: Firm hold on national polling (not in Iowa)

Giuliani: Firm hold on national polling (not in Iowa)

by Mark Silva

From that national perspective of who's on top and who's not, Republican Rudy Giuliani remains on top of the GOP pack of presidential candidates.

This overlooks the fact that Republican Mitt Romney fares better in the latest survey of Iowans likely to turn out for the nation's first nominating caucuses in January -- yet Romney has not gained any traction on the national stage, the Gallup Poll reports.

As the Republican candidates prepare to face off again today, this time in Dearborn, Mich., the newest Gallup Poll shows that Giuliani stands 12 points stronger among Republicans nationally than former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson -- who will make his first appearance on the party's debate stage this afternoon -- and 16 points ahead of Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

The poll finds former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee moving within two points of Romney, whose nationwide support among Republicans remains mired in single digits.

In his summary of "The Race as of Oct. 9,'' Gallup Editor-in-chief Frank Newport reports:

"The basic structure of the national Republican race for president has remained relatively stable since early September. If there has been a change of note over the last several months, it has been the failure of Mitt Romney to capitalize on his mini-surge when he won the Iowa straw poll in early August,'' - again, bypassing talk of Romney's gain in Iowa polling.

"John McCain has, at the same time, recovered his standing after slipping in August,'' Newport says of his Oct. 4-7 survey. "There has been a slight but steady increase in support for Mike Huckabee, despite his very low name identification.''

For more, see the Gallup Poll reporl: