The Race for 2008

John Kerry is off to rough start, ranking last in a recent likability poll of 20 top political figures. While it isn't the final nail in his coffin, not being likable is a hard thing to overcome for a politician who has been on the national scene as long as Kerry.

The Top of the list?

[F]ormer New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican, ranked first with a mean score of 64.2, followed by Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, 58.8, and McCain, 57.7. All three are potential presidential candidates.

While Obama received a high score, 41 percent said they had not heard enough about the first-term senator to offer an opinion.

George Bush finished in 15th place, just behind Al Gore.

In the new likeability survey, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ranked fourth with 56.1, followed by former President Bill Clinton, 55.8, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who won re-election this month as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, 52.7.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, was seventh at 51.1, followed by two other potential presidential contenders, former Democratic Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, 49.9, and Hillary Clinton, 49.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, another possible White House contender, ranked 10th, at 47.7. Two in three respondents said they did not know enough about him to form an opinion.

It's funny that Bill Clinton still finished in the top five after being out of office for six years and having been impeached. They used to call Reagan the teflon president, but I think that title belongs to Clinton.

Tags: likability poll, John Kerry, race for 2008, presidential race