Former Lobbyist Fred Thompson Sneaks Past McCain In LA Times Poll

It looks like Cliff's efforts with The Real McCain are already bearing fruit. This 12 percent showing marks McCain's worst performance in any 2008 national poll, and it goes without saying that the two candidates above him will not be teaching courses on ethics any time soon.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani leads the crowded field of announced and potential contenders with support from 29% of Republican primary voters surveyed, followed by Thompson with 15% and McCain with 12%. Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and fundraising powerhouse, had 8%.

The Arizona senator's showing in the poll is his lowest in any national survey to date, marking a new benchmark in his flagging fortunes. The surge of interest in Thompson is a sign of conservative dissatisfaction with the established field of candidates and underscores just how unsettled the Republican race remains.