Posted on 11/07/2008 8:31:02 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republican voters say Alaska Governor Sarah Palin helped John McCain’s bid for the presidency, even as news reports surface that some McCain staffers think she was a liability.
Only 20% of GOP voters say Palin hurt the party’s ticket, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Six percent (6%) say she had no impact, and five percent (5%) are undecided.
Ninety-one percent (91%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Palin, including 65% who say their view is Very Favorable. Only eight percent (8%) have an unfavorable view of her, including three percent (3%) Very Unfavorable.
When asked to choose among some of the GOP’s top names for their choice for the party’s 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say Palin. The next closest contenders are two former governors and unsuccessful challengers for the presidential nomination this year -- Mike Huckabee of Arkansas with 12% support and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 11%.
Three other sitting governors – Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Charlie Crist of Florida and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota – all pull low single-digit support.
These findings echo a survey earlier this week which found that Republicans were happier with their vice presidential candidate than with their presidential nominee. Seventy-one percent (71%) said McCain made the right choice by picking Palin as his running mate, while only 65% said the party picked the right nominee for president.
The key for the 44-year-old Palin will be whether she can broaden her base of support. An Election Day survey found that 81% of Democrats and, more importantly, 57% of unaffiliated voters had an unfavorable view of her.
Palin, Alaska’s first woman governor, was elected to a four-year term in 2006. She was largely unknown nationally until McCain chose her to be the party’s vice presidential candidate. She quickly became a darling of the GOP’s conservative base and energized the party’s rank-and-file.
Speculation about her future has run high for weeks when it appeared Barack Obama was likely to beat McCain. Already this week there is talk of her possibly taking the seat of embattled Republican Senator Ted Stevens if he manages to hang on and win won reelection despite recent federal felony convictions. Stevens would have to step down if his appeal of the convictions is unsuccessful.
Palin could also run for another term as Governor in the state where she still enjoys very high approval ratings.
Among Republicans, 66% of men and 61% of women say Palin is their choice for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Sixty-six percent (66%) of GOP women have a Very Favorable view of her, as do 64% of men.
While Palin’s high favorables suggest she has a bright political future in the Republican Party, it is important to note that favorites four years out from a presidential election quite often do not get the nomination. Obama, for example, was just an Illinois state senator four years ago, and Hillary Clinton appeared a shoo-in for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.
Similarly, vice presidential candidates historically have seldom risen to the highest office by election.
Republicans are closely divided over the two most important issues in the next presidential election: 31% say economic issues, 30% say national security. Fifteen percent (15%) list fiscal issues, followed by cultural issues (12%) and domestic issues (6%). Five percent (5%) are undecided. Palin is overwhelmingly the top choice for 2012 among voters in all these categories.
Over two-thirds of Republicans describe themselves as conservative in terms of foreign policy, fiscal and social issues.
Eighty percent (80%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Huckabee, including 46% Very Favorable. Sixteen percent (16%) regard him unfavorably.
Eighty-one percent (81%) view Romney favorably, with 45% Very Favorable. Fifteen percent (15%) have an unfavorable opinion of him.
Jindal, Pawlenty, and Crist are far less known than the other candidates. Roughly 40% of GOP voters have no opinion one way or the other of these three Republican Governors.
No doubt about it that Sarah helped McQueeg. Let’s see if McQueeg goes back to form in the Senate.
We ought to boycott any candidate who uses the slime balls that are attracting Sarah. No more RINOs.
Amongst all the name-calling and recriminations going on here the past couple of days, this is the most sensible and important comment I've seen.
If you love Sarah as I love Sarah, send her a note of thanks right now, and include your address so you can be part of the organization she will soon create. Then fund it as generously as you can.
Even if you don't think Sarah has what it takes to be President, you need to do this to give her a megaphone as the #1 cheerleader and fundraiser for conservatism and Constitutional government.
-ccm
The way the question was asked has a lot to do with it.
The 20% who said she had a negative effect may have in fact LIKED her, but are reacting strictly to the media coverage, and may be thinking that some voters would have a negative view of her.
Dear Gov Palin,
Please please please do NOT fill Stevens’ Senate seat if it comes to that.
You are a popular governor and in 4 years nobody can say you would have no experience.
It is not that few Alaskans support her. By the time, the race was over by 9 P.M EST Alaska was still voting. Many republicans just stayed home instead of venturing out in the near freezing temperature outside. The same is true for California too. We had almost a million votes less. People just stayed home once the race was over by 8 P.M EST election night
We need a Boycott/ES&Die list for traitorous RINOs...
Time for Republicans to change history! I will cry with happiness when we elect THIS woman!
Sarah's poor performance in the Couric interview pretty much did her in. Can she overcome that and change her perception to the vast majority of American people, we'll see. At least now Sarah can be Sarah without having to carry McCain's water anymore.
It was similar for Bush V Kerry in 04.
Palin - Jindal 2012! Dethrone the anti-Christ!
Because she is vey popular with the party, but is not taken seriously outside of it. I think she’s too damaged to be an effective candidate in a general election.
Are there exceptions? Of course, as Reagan is often cited here. I just don’t see it. I guess we’ll find out next time around.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. ;)
No source, naturally.
AMEN, Tommy!
Anyone with at least an eye, an ear, and a brain could have figured this out.
Good point. In Alaska she ran a more centrist popular government. That’s why she got 90% approval rating. She has the instinct to know how to attract the moderates and independents. Let Sarah be Sarah and nobody can beat her.
Our preliminary final numbers (a few thosand ballots left to count) suggest McCain got 500,000 votes LESS than Bush in 2004.
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