GOP insiders want MITT!

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/09/hillarys_inside.html

September 27, 2007
Hillary's Insider Advantage
Every day, the political class rates the 2008 White House hopefuls on the quality of their campaigns, how much money they’ve raised or how they performed in the latest debate. But who would make the best president?

Participants from both parties in the latest National Journal Political Insiders Poll believe that Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the best Dem to hold that job, while they split on which GOP contender would make the best president.

A hefty plurality of Dem Insiders (49%) think Clinton is best suited for the Oval Office, followed distantly by Chris Dodd and Barack Obama, who where tied for second with 13%.

Republican Insiders also give the nod to Hillary, but by a much smaller margin, 33 percent. As one GOP Insider said, she is “very pragmatic and solution-oriented. Although many GOP leaders in Congress don’t agree with her, there is a level of respect that is needed for the next executive.” . Bill Richardson, with his record as a tax-cutter in NM, was judged by 26% of the GOP Insiders as the best Dem, followed by Joe Biden, with 19%.

Among the GOP presidential field, 41% of GOP Insiders favored Mitt Romney followed by John McCain, 24% , and Rudy Giuliani, 23%. Twenty-eight percent of the Democratic Insiders, citing his bi-partisan tendencies, thought the best GOP pres. would be McCain, followed by 23% for Romney and, 18% for Mike Huckabee.

The Insiders also weighed in on whether they would like to see the WH noms in both parties agree to use only public financing in the general election. Here the two party’s different philosophies showed through. Among Democratic Insiders, 58% said they’d like to see that deal struck, while 39% said they wouldn’t.

As one Democratic Insider asked, “How is it better to have candidates spend the time raising money, unless we think that begging is an essential presidential trait?” But contrast that sentiment to the whopping 81 percent of Republican Insiders who were opposed to such a deal, while only 18 percent would take it. Said one GOP Insider, “Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the television commercials they despise" [JAMES BARNES].




Posted at 03:39 PM