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69% of GOP Voters Say Palin Helped McCain (Favorability among Republicans: ***91%***!!!)
Rasmussen Reports ^ | 11/07/08 | Staff

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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2008veep; conservativeparty; conservatives; palin; palin2012; rasmussen; rinos; sarah; sarahpalin
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1 posted on 11/07/2008 8:31:03 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Support Governor Palin against the attacks. Join Operation Freep Palin.
2 posted on 11/07/2008 8:31:30 AM PST by mnehring
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To: Mr. Silverback; Tennessee Nana; TADSLOS; tiniyo; snarkytart

Ping! ;)


3 posted on 11/07/2008 8:32:00 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (G-d watch over and protect Sarah Palin and her family.)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

McCain was Bob Dole with a decent running mate.


4 posted on 11/07/2008 8:32:27 AM PST by MuttTheHoople (Bombing Billy Ayers-the Timothy McVeigh of his generation)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Cool!! Bite that, RINOs!!


5 posted on 11/07/2008 8:32:56 AM PST by ScottinVA (Gloucester County, VA -- Making a stand for America: 63% for McCain/Palin)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
The other 33 1/3% of Republicans are sexist or rinos or both!

LLS

6 posted on 11/07/2008 8:32:56 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (GOD, Country, Family... except when it comes to dims! I am an UMA-unity my a$$)
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To: MuttTheHoople
McCain was Bob Dole with a decent running mate.

Excellent tagline alert!

7 posted on 11/07/2008 8:33:07 AM PST by frogjerk (Welcome|Goodbye to|from Free|Fairness Doctrine Republic!)
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To: mnehrling

This can’t be right! She was a drag on the ticket! The MSM told me so, and they never lie.


8 posted on 11/07/2008 8:33:16 AM PST by scottinoc
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

GO SARAH!!! They are AFRAID...very AFRAID!!!!!!!!!!!
GO SARAH!!!!!!!!!!!!GO SARAH!!!!!!!!!


9 posted on 11/07/2008 8:34:01 AM PST by barbarianbabs (VOTE!!!!!!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

You betcha!


10 posted on 11/07/2008 8:34:17 AM PST by MiddleEarth ("The board is set. Pieces are moving. It has come to it at last. The great battle of our time.")
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

I think she helped bring in the base, which just shows how doomed McCain was from the start. I have a favorable view of her as a person. But at this point, I am opposed to her being our nominee in 2012. I think she should campaign for our nominee, because she’s a good campaigner/stump speechifier, and I think she’d make a good Sec. of Energy, but I’ll be looking for someone else to support when the time comes. And it won’t be Romney or Huckabee.


11 posted on 11/07/2008 8:34:56 AM PST by Huck (Harriet Miers + Fred Thompson = Sarah Palin)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Ninety-one percent (91%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Palin, including 65% who say their view is Very Favorable.

Oh really? Gosh, that’s not what the MSM was reporting before the freakin election. Lying, disgusting, filthy, disingenuous, creepy, scumbag, partisan, pieces of chit.


12 posted on 11/07/2008 8:35:01 AM PST by Unkosified (What do Osama and Obama have in common? They both have friends that bombed the Pentagon.)
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To: ScottinVA
Ninety-one percent (91%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Palin

Wonder how the anti-Sarah trolls hereabouts are gonna try spinning this one! ;)

13 posted on 11/07/2008 8:35:17 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (G-d watch over and protect Sarah Palin and her family.)
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To: MuttTheHoople
McCain was Bob Dole with a decent running mate.

Spot on. Best summary of the election yet.

14 posted on 11/07/2008 8:35:22 AM PST by Mad_as_heck (The MSM - America's (domestic) public enemy #1.)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
You have to give the RINO McCain credit, whether on purpose or inadvertently, Gov. Palin now has a national presence.
15 posted on 11/07/2008 8:35:57 AM PST by frogjerk (Welcome|Goodbye to|from Free|Fairness Doctrine Republic!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

16 posted on 11/07/2008 8:36:09 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (Nanowrimo Word Count: 2629)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

91%?!?—she must be destroyed!


17 posted on 11/07/2008 8:36:20 AM PST by beaversmom
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

I’ll say it again. She IS the base. Any RINO trying to put her on the sidelines will be discarded.


18 posted on 11/07/2008 8:36:42 AM PST by SolidWood (Sarah Palin - Everything that is Sweetness and Light! WE STAND WITH HER!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
IMHO she didn't help McCain, SHE CARRIED MCCAIN across the finish line, with help from Joe the Plumber.
19 posted on 11/07/2008 8:37:04 AM PST by pfflier
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

This explains the bitterness among the McCain staffers. Their own candidate was to blame.


20 posted on 11/07/2008 8:37:09 AM PST by TommyDale (I) (Never forget the Republicans who voted for illegal immigrant amnesty in 2007!)
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