Fred Thompson, a movie star turned U.S. Senator turned TV star, has been publicly considering entering the 2008 Presidential Sweepstakes to fill what some see as a void in the Republican Primary field.

The first Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey involving Thompson shows the former Senator from Tennessee essentially tied with the Democratic frontrunner, Senator Hillary Clinton. It’s Thompson 44% Clinton 43%.

However, Thompson trails another leading Democrat, Illinois Senator Barack Obama by twelve percentage points, 49% to 37%. When matched against Thompson, Obama outperforms Clinton among men, women, white voters, and unaffiliated voters. He even attracts more crossover support from the GOP.

In the race for the Democratic nomination, Clinton is currently in first place, Obama second.

These numbers are probably more a reflection of national voter attitudes towards the Democrats than a comment on Thompson. A plurality of voters (41%) has no opinion on the actor from Tennessee. Thirty-six percent (36%) have a favorable opinion while 23% hold an unfavorable view.

The favorability ratings for Obama are 54% favorable, 36% unfavorable. Clinton earns favorable reviews from 50%, unfavorable opinions from 48%. A separate survey found that 46% of voters would definitely vote against Clinton if she is on the 2008 ballot. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say the same about Obama. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) draws the most negative response—50% of Likely Voters would definitely vote against Gingrich.

Thompson is not yet a factor in the Republican nomination competition. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the current GOP frontrunner. Giuliani currently leads all Democrats in General Election match-ups. This includes Senator Clinton, Obama, Edwards, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Delaware Senator Joe Biden. To see how all the Election 2008 hopefuls compare, check out the Rasmussen Reports overview for both Republican and Democratic candidates. You can also check out favorables for Congressional Leaders, Journalists, and other Political Figures.

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