Ridenbaugh Press/Northwest

Polling is out in presidential preferences in Idaho, and while there’s no enormous shock, they’re worthy of note.

The new results come from Greg Smith Associates of Eagle; the report cautions any reading of them, owing partly to a smaller than usual sample size.

Smith, who is a public supporter of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, must have been heartened by the Republican results, which gave Romney a big lead (especially in eastern Idaho), 38% to 20% for second-place Rudy Guiliani; not-yet-candidate (depending on how you describe him and who he describes himself to) Fred Thompson is third at 18%. Of course, Idaho would be expected to be one of Romney’s best states; most of Idaho’s Republican political establishment is already in his camp.

Among Democrats, top place went a man not in the race, former Vice President Al Gore, at 31%, with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton basically tied, for second after Gore or for first place if Gore is excluded.

A comment: “Note that no candidate in either party, except for Romney, currently garners more than a third of support among primary election/caucus participants. The contest here in Idaho, like in the rest of the nation, is by no means a lock for any candidate, although it is interesting even at this early stage how small the “soft” support level is for any candidate.”