ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER POLL...THIS TIME, STRATEGIC VISION POLITICAL WITH SOME INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS

The Republican-leaning Strategic Vision Political poll was released early this morning, and it basically confirms the results of the Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey released Monday.

The telephone survey of 1200 likely Florida voters aged 18 and above was taken last weekend (July 21-23). The margin of error is plus-or-minus three percent.

In the GOP race for governor, Attorney General Charlie Crist's tremendous lead over primary challenger Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher was validated. The Strategic Vision poll shows a gap of 57-29 percent in Crist's favour, with 14 percent undecided or supporting other candidates.

Among Democrats, the two main candidates, Congressman Jim Davis' lead over State Senator Rod Smith has become perilous. The gap is now only five percentage points, with Davis in front 40-35 percent. While the Mason-Dixon poll shows more than have of the Democrats interviewed still undecided, the Strategic Vision survey has 25 percent still looking for a candidate or supporting others.

Strategic Vision also asks interviewees who they would support if the general election would be between the Democratic nominee and the Republican nominee. In all cases, the Republican came out on top, but the numbers were generally close. No surprise that Crist came out better when respondents were asked to pick between either Smith or Davis, and that Gallagher -vs- either Democrat would be even (Gallagher -vs- Smith = 40-40; Gallagher -vs- Davis = 40-39 percent).

Even with all the drama surrounding Congresswoman Katherine Harris' U.S. Senate campaign, Republicans responding to the survey still pick her as the frontrunner with 45 percent. The GOP candidate closest is Orlando attorney Will McBride with 22 percent. A full 59 percent of all respondants, though, say they have a negative opinion of Ms. Harris.

Speaking of the Senate race, incumbant Democrat Bill Nelson leads Harris in the Strategic Vision survey 60-22 percent...no great surprise.

And there are some interesting items among the questions asked about the 2008 presidential election:

Among Republicans, the front runner is...NOT Arizona Senator John McCain...he came in second (30%). It's former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani with 40%. After McCain, everyone else is in single digits. That said, 48 percent of the GOP respondents say they would like to see Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice run for the top spot.

With Democrats, New York Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton is tops with 34 percent. Only former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, with 14 percent, and former Vice President and current documentary filmmaker Al Gore, with 13 percent, earned double digit numbers.