Forty-five percent (45%) of Likely Voters were able to identify Mitt Romney as the winner of the recent straw poll in Ames, Iowa. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 13% thought Giuliani won, 32% were not sure and several other candidates were named the winner by a relative handful of voters.

Among Republican voters, 48% knew that Romney won while 15% named Giuliani. With momentum from his victory in Iowa, Romney has gained ground in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

Just 24% of Likely Voters were able to name Mike Huckabee as the second place finisher in Iowa. Forty-five percent (45%) were not sure, 13% thought Giuliani placed second. Nine percent (9%) thought that Fred Thompson came in second.

While political reporters breathlessly covered the speeches and organizing efforts of the various campaigns, just 17% of voters followed news of the Iowa straw poll Very Closely. Another 38% said they followed the news of this campaign stop Somewhat Closely.

Just 60% of Likely Voters were able to correctly identify Iowa as the state hosting the recent straw poll while 28% were not sure.

Twenty-seven percent (27%) correctly identified Tommy Thompson as the first candidate to drop out of the race following the event in Iowa.

Many of the early 2008 campaign events have the flavor of spring training baseball games. The insiders love to analyze and evaluate the competitors, but most Americans have only a vague sense that the real season is about to begin. An earlier survey found that most Americans say the early Presidential debates are boring.

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