Giuliani favored by more in poll

But support for Clinton is deeper

WASHINGTON -- Rudy Giuliani's support is broad. Hillary Clinton's is intense.

Among voters of all parties with an opinion, Clinton is viewed favorably by 55 percent, the lowest of all major candidates, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Thursday. That includes a positive rating by just 19 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of independents -- figures that show the challenges that would await her in a general election where swing voters might be crucial.

Yet the New York senator is viewed favorably by 88 percent of her fellow Democrats, including 38 percent with a very favorable opinion of her -- the highest rating of that intensity for any leading candidate. Such support is good news for her effort to win her party's nomination.

The closest Democrat to Clinton by that measure is Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is viewed very favorably by 30 percent of Democrats. Overall, 83 percent of Democrats have a favorable view of him.

Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, is seen favorably by 65 percent of adults of all parties who expressed a view, including 47 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of independents.

But though 84 percent of Republicans also rate him favorably, 21 percent of them view him very favorably -- 10 percentage points below one of his chief GOP rivals, actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson. Thompson is expected to get into the race soon.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gets a 54 percent favorable rating from people with opinions, including 76 percent from Republicans. However, only 17 percent of GOP voters see him very favorably.

And 34 percent of Democrats and 50 percent of independents see him favorably -- the lowest such ratings for any major Republican candidate.

The poll was conducted from Aug. 1 to 18 and involved telephone interviews with 3,002 adults. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.