Judge Roy Moore, who became famous when he was thrown off of the Alabama Supreme Court because he installed and then refused to move (under court order) a stone memorial to the Ten Commandments, is polling 8 points ahead of Republican Governor Bob Riley in a hypothetical 2006 Gubenatorial showdown.

If he can’t see the separation of church and state, he doesn’t deserve to be on the bench, much less governor of my birth state!

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Poll shows Moore with lead for GOP gubernatorial nomination

The Associated Press
1/17/2005, 11:13 a.m. CT

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A new poll shows Roy Moore with a lead over Gov. Bob Riley in the race for the 2006 Republican gubernatorial nomination, a potential boost for the former chief justice should he decide to run for the office.

A Mobile Register-University of South Alabama poll of likely Republican primary voters shows Moore with a lead of 8 percentage points over Riley in a hypothetical primary matchup. Moore drew support from 43 percent of respondents, while the governor garnered 35 percent.

The statewide survey, published Sunday and conducted last Monday through Thursday, included responses from 400 adults who identified themselves as likely voters in the GOP primary. The results are supposed to be accurate to within plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Ousted from the Alabama Supreme Court over his refusal to follow a federal judge’s order to remove a Ten Commandments office from the court building, Moore has been traveling the country speaking to conservative organizations and religious groups.

The poll found that Moore had a favorable rating of 72 percent — a number University of Alabama political scientist William Stewart described as potentially “intimidating to the governor.”

When Greenville businessman Tim James was added to the mix, both Moore’s and Riley’s support dropped. But that matchup still pushed Moore’s lead to 10 percentage points. James, a son of former Gov. Fob James who ran for governor in 2002, drew just 4 percent support.

Poll director Keith Nicholls, a political scientist at South Alabama, said the results indicate the 2006 nomination is “Moore’s for the taking.”

Riley has not said whether he will seek a second term, telling reporters recently that he still enjoys the job and has work left to do. Riley spokesman Jeff Emerson declined comment on the poll results.

Moore said Friday he is weighing his options for 2006. Last month, he said for the first time publicly that he was thinking about running for governor.

On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley and former Gov. Don Siegelman are considering gubernatorial campaigns.

By walterh

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