by Mark Silva
Sarah Palin isn't looking so good lately - not in the eyes of most Americans surveyed.
The public's favorability rating for the former governor of Alaska stands at 40 percent, according to the Gallup Poll, today registering the lowest rating for the Republican since she emerged on the national scene as the GOP's nominee for vice president in 2008.
She may be down, however - down from 53 percent favorability in the Gallup Poll coming out of the Republican National Convention in Minnesota last year. But not out.
As compared to, say, John Edwards, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 who attempted another run at the presidency four years later only to disclose that he had had a sexual affair with a campaign-paid videographer while his longtime wife, Elizabeth, was battling cancer.
Edwards is not only down, but quite clearly out: His favorability rating of 21 percent - with 59 percent of those surveyed viewing him unfavorably - reflects a 27-point fall for the former senator from North Carolina since Gallup's last measurement of his standing in January 2008.
That's the biggest decline that Gallup has recorded from poll to poll for any individual tested (others, for sure, have suffered deeper falls over longer periods). Edwards had held a favorable view among 59 percent of those surveyed coming out of the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004, and he was averaging 50 percent until suspending his subsequent 2008 presidential bid in January of that year.
Controversy is never good for a public figure's public ratings: The Rev. Jesse Jackson dropped 24 points in the public's eye from poll to poll, between January 2008 and October of this year. Sammy Sosa dropped 24 points between December 1998 and June of 2003, Tom Cruise fell 23 points between June of 2005 and May of 2006. Arnold Schwarzenegger fell 16 from February 2003 to August 2004, and Martha Stewart slid 16 from June to July of 2002.
Palin, too, has suffered a slide since her nomination as vice president. And, while she holds a sizeable following - with nearly one million people signed on as "supporters'' at the Facebook page where she holds forth from time to time following her surprise resignation as governor last summer and book coming out in November -- with a press run of 1.5 million for Going Rogue -- Gallup notes that "Palin's ratings have not recovered, and her current 40% favorable rating is the lowest for her since she became widely known."
Controversy is never good for a public figure's public ratings: The Rev. Jesse Jackson dropped 24 points in the public's eye from poll to poll, between January 2008 and October of this year. Sammy Sosa dropped 24 points between December 1998 and June of 2003, Tom Cruise fell 23 points between June of 2005 and May of 2006. Arnold Schwarzenegger fell 16 from February 2003 to August 2004, and Martha Stewart slid 16 from June to July of 2002.
President Barack Obama has suffered a fairly big slide as well over the many polls taken this year - his 56-percent favorability rating in the Gallup this week (as opposed to overall job approval, a few notches lower) has dropped by 22 points from the start of the year. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, by contrast, has held her own, at 62 percent.
"Gallup has seen larger declines in public figures' images in non-consecutive polls. For example, George W. Bush's favorable rating fell from 87% shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to 32% in his final year in office, a change of 55 points. Jackson's rating dropped to as low as 33% in March 2001 after Jackson admitted he fathered a child out of wedlock, a total drop of 37 points from his high. Rudy Giuliani experienced a 32-point decline spanning December 2006 to January 2008.
And Edwards is "far from the most reviled figure Gallup has polled about. His 57% unfavorable rating is well below those Gallup has measured for Osama bin Laden (97%), Saddam Hussein (96%), Mark Fuhrman (87%), Fidel Castro (83%), Monica Lewinsky (82%), and Yasser Arafat (80%). The highest unfavorable rating for a U.S. politician is 79% for David Duke.''
Yet, Gallup notes, "while Edwards' national political career is most certainly finished, another former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, may be just beginning hers. Palin became a bit of a sensation after John McCain tapped her as his running mate last August. But over the course of the campaign, her image suffered, going from a 53% favorable rating immediately after the 2008 Republican National Convention to 42% by the end of the campaign.
"Despite the increasingly negative views of Palin overall, she is still seen as a possible contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Indeed, when Gallup tested a field of possible GOP candidates, Palin was competitive with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee for the lead.
"Palin could compete for the 2012 nomination because she is still widely liked by Republicans -- 69% have a favorable opinion of her while only 25% view her unfavorably. But she may have difficulty succeeding in the general election, given that Democrats have overwhelmingly negative opinions of her, and independents view her more negatively than positively.''
The results come from a survey of 1,013 adults conducted Oct. 1-4, with a possible four percentage point margin of error.
Comments
I have a hard time picturing palin as a viable candidate for much more than a PTA president and that's stretching it. Can't see, either, palin being able to raise the polls She'll stick her foot in it with her book... probably both feet.
Posted by: irene | October 16, 2009 9:26 AM
The reason Sarah Palin has much more favorable ratings than former Democratic Senator John Edwards is that she does not have a major sex scandal like Edwards. Palin is dreaming if she thinks she is going to led the Republicans in 2012. She is inexperienced and too divisive to be a successful candidate for President. The GOP has many good prospective candidates and it will be interesting to see if anyone new emerges after the 2010 Mid-Year Elections. Time will tell.
Posted by: Depot- Jim | October 16, 2009 9:30 AM
Ahhh . . . Silva's favorite foil . . . a secret obsession, Marky?
SUPPORT STUPID POSTS, POST THEM DAILY, IDIOTIC AND REPETITIVE. NOW.
Posted by: Bobbie Mobbie | October 16, 2009 9:34 AM
Enquirer broke the Edwards affair before all other news media and were not taken seriously because they are the National Enquirer. The National Enquirer has been reporting an affair in the Palin household and it has not gained traction in other so called Liberal Media. Why aren't more Conservatives demanding the truth? How can the National Enquirer not be trusted to be on the trail of a big story when they've already shown the have crack journalism skills and can get to a truth the mainstream medial will not seek?
Posted by: Hank Dyslin | October 16, 2009 10:00 AM
Don't pay attention to liberal polls or the slander talk.
Posted by: Harold | October 16, 2009 10:00 AM
Ahhh . . . Silva's favorite foil . . . a secret obsession, Marky?
Posted by: Bobbie Mobbie | October 16, 2009 9:34 AM
Bobbie, ALL major news channels report on Paliin as much as Mark does, as she is the republicans only contender right now! As long as she opens her mouth with such dribble as you do she willbe in the news. You dont like it, too bad!
SUPPORT COMPLAINING WINGNUTS, REPLY TO THEM DAILY, REMIND THEM HOW IDIOTIC AND REPETITIVE THEY ARE. NOW.
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | October 16, 2009 10:00 AM
Sure, the left wing media say Sarah isn't popular at all....they wish. Her book just rocketed into one of the top sellers in the nation, even on the liberal NY Times list...before it is even published. The reason the left wing media scorn Palin and subject her to more scrutiny than they ever did Obama (college records, anyone?), is that she is a threat. But then the question is, why are the media threatened by a conservative Republican?
Posted by: Dorian | October 16, 2009 10:14 AM
Sarah Palin isn't a politician, she is a strong woman of integrity, honesty, and transparency who happens to be in politics. America needs that. She delivers on her promises time and time again, first as mayor, then as Govenor. There is a reason she had an 80% approval rating. She listens to the people, and the people believe her. I believe her. She is exactly what America needs.
Posted by: Ashley | October 16, 2009 10:17 AM
Ahhh . . . Silva's favorite foil . . . a secret obsession, Marky?
Posted by: Bobbie Mobbie | October 16, 2009 9:34 AM
Mark......If you have picked up on the progression of the name game......you start with Marky....then it goes to "little" Mark...then to just plain Loon.
You have a ways to go yet!!!!
Posted by: bill r. | October 16, 2009 10:38 AM
She delivers on her promises time and time again, first as mayor, then as Govenor. There is a reason she had an 80% approval rating. She listens to the people, and the people believe her. I believe her. She is exactly what America needs.
Posted by: Ashley | October 16, 2009 10:17 AM
Did she promise to quit halfway through her first term as Governor so that she could go on a book tour?
Posted by: Palin is a quitter | October 16, 2009 10:41 AM
Give her credit- One smart young lady.
Posted by: Inky | October 16, 2009 10:43 AM
Sarah Palin reminds me of the essence of the quote on Mother Teresa's wall (and adaptation of Kent M. Keith's 'Commandments'):
“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
Posted by: Fallon | October 16, 2009 2:23 PM
"Did she promise to quit halfway through her first term as Governor so that she could go on a book tour?" If you knew anything about the circumstance in Alaska, you would know the answer to this question. In Alaska anyone can file a complaint against the sitting Governor and all allegations must be investigated. The Democrats used this law, meant to provide transparency, as a weapon against Sarah Palin and tried to bankrupt and sideline her by racking up her legal fees and disrupting her term.
It's a despicable misuse of the laws of Alaska but it is technically legal. Governor Palin could not let her state and her family be ruined by these lawsuits so she stepped aside, Unless you did not know of the behind the scenes dirty tactics and practices of the Democrat party, you already knew this and falsley accused her of simply resigning for financial gains anyway. If this is news to you, as Paul Harvey said, now you know the rest of the story.
Posted by: Alaskan Pride | October 16, 2009 2:40 PM
Sarah reminds me of another quote Fallon.......When the going get's tough.....quit!
Posted by: bill r. | October 16, 2009 2:53 PM
Yeah, it's just a coincdence that Palin came out with a book a couple of months later, She really quit because the Democrats were big meanies who made Sarah so sad she couldn't be Governor anymore! Surely asking questions about the Governor is something that would destroy any state! Cleaning up State Govrennment means investigating other politicians, not Sarah. Investigating her just isn't fair! Let's all pirty poor little mistreated Sarah. Waaaaah!
Posted by: Palin is a Quitter | October 16, 2009 3:15 PM
Well maybe now that it's confirmed fact that her town billed rape victims for their own kits, to the point where Alaska's state legislature had to step in and stop her, she's not quite so popular. Middle America tends to be anti-rape-kit-billing.
Posted by: Kevin | October 18, 2009 3:50 AM
She was out even when she was in with McCain...Take away the pretty face and what do you have?? -0- minus......
Posted by: kaye c. | October 18, 2009 2:37 PM
The more I research Sarah Palin's efforts, the more I like her. There's hope in the 2012 election because of her. She's honest, intelligent, and is gaining her international affairs experience as we speak. Watch out, you'll be hearing more from her. I can't wait. Hope has arrived.
Posted by: Sandra Goulah | October 18, 2009 3:04 PM
If you knew anything about the circumstance in Alaska, you would know the answer to this question. In Alaska anyone can file a complaint against the sitting Governor and all allegations must be investigated. The Democrats used this law, meant to provide transparency, as a weapon against Sarah Palin and tried to bankrupt and sideline her by racking up her legal fees and disrupting her term.
Posted by: Alaskan Pride | October 16, 2009 2:40 PM
==========================
Please post your similar comments claiming frivolous lawsuits were to blame when the rethuglicans did this to Bill Clinton.
Yeah, didn't think so. IOKIYAR.
Posted by: I heart Schadenfreude | October 20, 2009 7:40 PM
Palin's favorability will get better after her book I'm sure. A lot of people don't really know the real Sarah Palin. As for those that always want to trash her I would say that being a Christian like Palin makes her a target for abuse. The persecution of Christians never ceases but Christ told us about it so we shouldn't be surprised. Sarah isn't!
Posted by: Lindsey | October 20, 2009 10:34 PM