Giuliani retains GOP lead for presidential nomination as Fred Thompson gains

FOR THE RECORD:
Presidential poll: A chart accompanying an article Tuesday in Section A reporting the results of a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll said 31% of Democratic voters surveyed thought it was more important for the candidate they choose in the primary to have "long experience in government and policymaking" than to be someone who "bridges partisan divides." It should have said 39%. —

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But Thompson, an actor who played a prosecutor on NBC's "Law & Order," runs just behind, with 21%. Indications are he will join the race within the next month.

The two other major GOP contenders, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, fall well short of the leaders and are in a battle for third place. McCain was backed by 12% of those polled, Romney by 10%. The rest of the crowded field is mired in single digits.

Among the Democratic candidates, the race remains little changed from a Times/Bloomberg poll in April.

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton maintains a solid lead at 33%, followed by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama at 22%. Running third, with 15%, is former Vice President Al Gore, who continues to say he has no plans to seek the office he barely lost in 2000. Fourth is former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards at 8%.

Despite Clinton's lead, Obama is the strongest Democrat in hypothetical match-ups with Republicans in the general election, running even or well ahead of the GOP's top contenders.

Clinton, in a showing that could spark concerns among some Democrats, does not fare as well. Against Giuliani, for instance, the poll found she would lose by 10 percentage points.

Overall, the survey underscored the unsettled nature of the Republican contest, with voters splitting roughly along ideological lines.

Giuliani, whose views on abortion, gay rights and guns are to the left of many in his party, has built a wide base among moderates and independents, while Thompson has drawn conservatives, particularly among the religious right.

That dynamic, however, could change quickly. Giuliani has faced a swarm of media scrutiny of his weak spots for months, but retains a lead in national polls, although it is somewhat diminished.

Thompson, by contrast, is only starting to introduce himself. He has never endured the rigors of a high-profile campaign and has not parried with rivals in debates, as Giuliani and nine other Republicans have done three times this spring.

Thompson "has this allure, but he hasn't been tested yet," said Times Poll Director Susan Pinkus, who conducted the survey. "He has gotten a free ride so far."

Conservatives uneasy

For months, many conservatives have been uneasy with their choices. The survey shows that a substantial bloc, voters like poll respondent Ted Uhlemann, 56, of Littleton, Colo., is gravitating toward Thompson, an opponent of abortion rights and gun control.

"He's just more conservative than the rest of them," Uhlemann, an environmental engineer, said of the top Republicans in a follow-up interview. "They're all a little more liberal than I would expect the candidate for the Republican Party to be."

For Giuliani, an ace remains his leadership of New York after the terrorist strikes of Sept. 11, 2001. More than two-thirds of Republican-leaning primary voters rate a candidate's views on terrorism and national security as more important than stands on social issues. The top pick for those voters: Giuliani, who has focused his campaign heavily on his record and his commitment to fight terrorism.

For McCain, the survey pointed to lasting trouble among conservative Republicans: One in four would not vote for him under any circumstances. Their longstanding gripes have included his opposition to President Bush's tax cuts and his backing for efforts — now apparently stalled in Congress — to put illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship.