Getting to Know You

The first meaningful vote is almost a year away, but Americans are ready for a change at the top. President George W. Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low of 34% in a new TIME poll, and 66% of respondents say they would prefer to have Congress, not the White House, determine national policy. With no incumbent in the 2008 race, more than a dozen hopefuls are vying for attention--and money. So far, the attention part is working. More than 80% of those polled say they're following the race.

To keep track of how the candidates are doing, TIME has created the monthly Election Index, which plots the amount of support each contender enjoys against how much voters know about that person. In this second edition, the candidates are becoming better known but not always better liked.

In head-to-head matchups in the TIME poll, former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani edges all comers. Respondents rate him highest as a potential boss and think he would win a speed-date contest. [This article consists of a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]