New Poll Suggests Stephen Colbert Should Be Frontrunner Within a Month!

By: Greg Mitchell Less than a week ago, shortly after he announced for president, Stephen Colbert was favored by only a little more than 2% of Democrats as the favorite for the nomination. Now, a Rasmussen Report national telephone survey has found that he gains 13% of voters in a matchup with Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Hillary Clinton.

With former Sen. Fred Thompson substituted for Giuliani, the host of Comedy Central's Colbert Report still got 12%.

If he keeps gaining over 10% a week, Colbert should be leading the field before November is out.

Rasmussen explained, "Colbert does particularly well with the younger voters most likely to be watching his show and therefore most aware of his myriad presidential-like qualities. In the match-up with Giuliani and Clinton, Colbert draws 28% of likely voters aged 18-29. He draws 31% of that cohort when his foes are Thompson and Clinton. In both match-ups, Colbert has more support with young voters than the GOP candidate."

Warning to other candidates: The poll was taken Oct. 19-21 -- mainly completed before Colbert's breakout appearance on "Meet the Press."

Some wag in the Huffington Post comments section responded that if Colbert becomes president then George W. Bush in 2009 could provide the jokes at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Colbert announced last week that he would run in the primary for both parties -- at least in his native South Carolina.

In an unofficial kickoff for the race, the mayor of Columbia, S.C., will greet Colbert during a visit this Sunday -- and declare it "Stephen Colbert Day."

Meanwhile, a Facebook group titled ?1,000,000 Strong For Stephen T. Colbert? has attracted more than 880,000 members in just over a week -- making it the most popular political group on Facebook by far.

Comedy Central, concerned about possible election law challenges, has taken certain steps, including separating a Colbert campaign Web site from his regular Colbert Report offering.

Another Huffington Post commenter asked, "They're including him in the polls???" But a third observed: "I know that Colbert's candidacy is a joke, but the fact remains that he is the only "candidate" to directly confront George Bush and the media elite. I think that's why he is gaining support. Even though he is a comedian, he has heart, brains and courage. That separates him from the rest of the pack."