Religious Republicans Dig Fred

Fred Thompson's campaign is making headway with conservative Christian voters, according to new polling data reported in Politico. Thompson, whose late campaign start was much maligned by Republican insiders, trails Giuliani by 8 percentage points among all Republicans, but he leads 29% to 19% among weekly Republican churchgoers—a group that holds much sway.

That subset should not be taken lightly, Politico warns. The efforts of religious Republicans are a big part of the political dominance the GOP has enjoyed in recent years. Giuliani's lead so far has resulted from his hawkishness and electability, despite his support for abortion rights and gay rights. The new data, mined from a CBS poll, shows that Thompson may be able to depose him with a religious wedge. (More Fred Thompson stories.)