Our Friendly Neighbor to the South

The PPP poll released today of likely South Carolina primary voters showed Obama and Fred Thompson leading their respective races. Obama received 34% of Democratic primary voters’ support and Fred Thompson received 27% of Republican primary voters’ support.

The results from the poll of Democratic voters do not prove particularly surprising. Obama and Clinton are close. Edwards is hanging in there. However, the results from the Republican presidential race are more interesting to look at.

As a recently-announced candidate for the Republican Presidential bid, Fred Thompson leads other major candidates by double digit margins, with Romney with 16%, McCain with 15%, and Giuliani with 14%. Some of Thompson’s 27% support may be a result of the newness of his campaign, a response of Republican primary voters’ enthusiasm to another option on the campaign trail.

Thompson’s support is primarily from an older population. Only 5% of the respondents who reported to being between the ages of 18 and 29 support Thompson. Thompson, however, received the most support from the 46-60 and 60+ crowd, with 30% of the 46-60 year old respondents’ support and also 30% of the support of the respondents who reported to be over 60, perhaps, a lot of Law and Order fans.

The poll released today also included a question about Iraq. Eighty-Six percent of Democrat respondents overwhelming agreed that Congress should do more to bring about an end to the war in Iraq, with only 8% of Democrat likely primary voters saying that Congress is doing a good job in its handling of the conflict.

Seventy-Four percent of Republican respondents continued to declare their support for Bush’s policy in Iraq, while 21% answered that Congress should push for a change in policy.

For a full press release, check http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/