Elon University Poll Shows Thompson Strength

A new poll conducted by Elon University's Institute for Politics and Public Affairs of 5 southern coastal states from Florida to Virginia shows some strength for Fred Thompson.

While Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton have leads in the poll, Senator Thompson, whose numbers have been dropping like a rock for most of the last month, still maintains a strong base of support:

Of the respondents who plan to support the Democratic Party, 45 percent indicated support for Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama and John Edwards followed with 17 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Nineteen percent of Democrat supporters are undecided.

The race is much closer for the Republicans. Of the respondents who favor the Republican Party, Rudy Giuliani leads with 25 percent of their support, followed by Fred Thompson with 16 percent and Mitt Romney with 12 percent. Twenty-nine percent of Republican supporters are currently undecided.

It may very well be that Thompson's campaign troubles have bottomed out and, with the recent endorsement of the Right to Life Committee, he may be on the rebound. His staff problems behind him and a more assertive, dynamic presence on the stump lately could mean that the former Tennessee Senator is ready and willing to claim the mantle of the most viable conservative alternative to Giuliani and Romney.

He doesn't have much time. The Iowa Caucuses are in less than 60 days. And depending on when Michigan finally decides to hold its primary, New Hampshire's "First in the Nation" contest may come even earlier.

But by all reports, his fundraising efforts are going well and his new ads on immigration and one touting his conservative credentials are being well received. A sense of momentum is returning to the campaign.
 
Whether it will be enough to dig out of the hole he excavated for himself in September and October is another question.