Republican leaders at odds with voters

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Recent polls suggest the leading Republican presidential candidates have adopted positions that put them at odds with the majority of U.S. voters.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., have staked claims to be conservative. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a longtime moderate, promises to appoint strict constructionist judges and has taken a hard-line position on terrorism and the Iraq War.

Many Republicans fear the eventual winner of the party's presidential nomination will be unable to appeal to independents, McClatchy Newspapers report.

On immigration, the Republican front-runners advocate tough border control. While polls show that U.S. voters agree with that position, 58 percent also support a citizenship path for illegal residents, an ABC News poll showed.

Other polls indicate voters are unhappy about the Iraq War and oppose the use of military force against Iran.

Voters support cutting the federal budget in theory. But asked about specific programs, they often favor more spending, the report said.