Rudy Giuliani (R) remains the top choice of Likely Republican Primary Voters even as many inside the beltway pundits dismiss his chances. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll shows Giuliani with 28% of the vote, eight points ahead of John McCain (R). Newt Gingrich is the only other Republican in double digits, earning support from 14% of GOP voters. Mitt Romney (R) is in fourth place with 8%.

Those results are little changed over the past month in stark contrast to the Democratic competition where Senator Hillary Clinton (D) and Senator Barack Obama (D) are now virtually tied for the lead. Earlier, Clinton had held a substantial lead.

While Giuliani has consistently led in polls of potential GOP primary voters, there is an intense debate among political observers as to whether the former Mayor of New York can actually win the nomination. Those who say Giuliani cannot win point to his views on key social issues and his own lifestyle which includes multiple marriages and divorces. Others say that Giuliani’s leadership quotient and charisma will overcome those points for Republicans fearful of seeing a Democrat in the White House.

If Giuliani is not electable in a GOP Primary, then John McCain may be the biggest beneficiary of the Giuliani effort. McCain has long had a tense relationship with many GOP activists and conservatives. Without Giuliani in the mix, it is likely that a conservative challenger would gain traction in an anybody-but-McCain effort.

While McCain may benefit from Giuliani’s presence in the race, he is hampered by the situation in Iraq. Most Americans believe we should be reducing the number of U.S. troops fighting in that country while McCain supports the President’s call for more troops.

McCain and Giuliani continue to lead all Democrats in General Election match-ups at this time. All other Republican candidates struggle when matched against Democrat alternatives. See a summary of these match-ups along with favorability ratings and perceptions of the candidates’ ideology. A summary is also provided for Democratic contenders.