Senator John McCain (R) has announced he is forming an exploratory committee for a 2008 Presidential run and he leads all challengers in General Election match-ups. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds McCain leading former Vice President Al Gore (D) 48% to 41% (see crosstabs). Earlier surveys released show him leading Senator Hillary Clinton (D) and Barack Obama (D). Clinton, Obama, and Gore are leading the pack in seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination.

While McCain is widely considered the 2008 frontrunner and does well when matched against Democrats, he is trailing former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the race for the Republican nomination. In a General Election match-up, Giuliani leads Gore 47% to 44%. Both McCain and Giuliani fare better with older voters when matched against Gore. Among unaffiliated voters, McCain has a 16-point edge over Gore while Giuliani leads Gore by just 3.

McCain is viewed favorably by 55% of voters and unfavorably by 37%. For Giuliani, the numbers are 63% favorable and 27% unfavorable (see crosstabs).

Opinion concerning Al Gore is more evenly divided—47% favorable and 48% unfavorable (see crosstabs).

John McCain is staking out an interesting position on Iraq, suggesting that more troops are needed, not less. Only 24% of Americans share that view while most believe we should reduce the number of troops in Iraq. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of American voters want troops brought home immediately from Iraq. Another 26% favor a firm timetable that will bring home troops within a year.

Rasmussen Reports is providing daily updates on Election 2008 featuring candidates, issues, general election match-ups, and the primary competitions.

Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.