The first national telephone survey by Rasmussen Reports of Republican Congressman Ron Paul's presidential candidacy shows him trailing New York Senator Hillary Clinton by fifteen points and Illinois Senator Barack Obama by twenty.

Overall, the numbers show Clinton getting 49% of the vote when matched against Paul while the Republican hopeful picks up just 34%. Obama leads Paul 50% to 30%.

Among Republicans, Paul manages just 65% support when matched against Clinton and only 55% against Obama.

Paul's long-shot bid for the GOP nomination drew more attention after his campaign reported having more cash on hand than Arizona Senator John McCain. However, he attracts only about 1% support from voters in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination. Clinton and Obama are on top among Democrats seeking their party’s nomination.

Congressman Paul, who previously ran as the Presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party, has all along enjoyed a strong and vocal if narrow base of support among libertarians. He also picks up some liberal voters attracted to his non-interventionist foreign policy. Even so, in the Clinton match-up Paul attracts only 13% of Democrats, 11% of liberals. Against Obama, he attracts 15% of Democrats, 11% of liberals.

Less well known than his opposition to the war in Iraq and American interventionism is Paul's strong pro-free-market and strict constitutionalist political outlook. He is perhaps the most radical of any congressional maverick, never hesitating to cast a lone vote in opposition to legislation he believes to be unauthorized by the Constitution.

Paul is viewed favorably by just 20% of likely voters nationwide. Thirty-eight percent (38%) have an unfavorable view while 43% are Not Sure what to think of him. Clinton is viewed favorably by 52%, Obama by 53%.

Paul's support when matched against Clinton and Obama is lower than that of other GOP candidates. By comparison, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney recently attracted 42% support against Clinton, 38% against Obama. On a lower rung, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee attracts 43% in a match-up with Clinton, 32% in a match-up with Obama. Another struggling candidate, Senator Sam Brownback, garners 41% against Clinton, 34% against Obama.

A Rasmussen Reports analysis found that the Republican nominating contest appears stable on the surface but is wide open.

Among Democrats, there is a long way to go before the nominee is selected and much could happen to change the underlying dynamic. However, something significant will have to happen for the Democrats to nominate someone other than Hillary Clinton.

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