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.
“She can get those Independenta and moderates. She was too new to the scene but if she does decide to run, she will be doing lots of interviews and primary debates.”
It amazed me how little the campaign talked about Palin’s reform record in Alaska. After the convention, I’m not sure I heard it mentioned once.
THAT would have brought independents over, yet we failed to even use it.
She was the VP CANDIDATE. that was not her job.
Palin - Jindal 2012! Dethrone the anti-Christ!
Coulter said the GOP ran "Caligula's Horse", LOL!
Sarah Palin was the closest to a Conservative cadidate on the ticket, and a vast majority of the ENTIRE electorate responded favorably.
Somewhere Mitt Romney is crying...
The perfect ticket, IMHO; with the more experienced governor at the top of the ticket, as shown! ;)
(click the pic)
I thoguht the VP candidate was to shore up the ticket. Almost 30% fewer Alaskan voters voted for her in 2008 than voted for W in 2004. Not that 3 electorial votes count for much and the ticket already won them, but Alaskans didn’t show up in droves to support her.
... and yet, somehow, I'll be sleeping soundly tonight regardless. ;)
Hey Noonan, Parker, Krauth, Barnes... stick it!!!! Here’s proof you elitist snobs are wrong.
Sorry, but Louisiana has a more diverse population than Alaska, and if Jindal can manage the racial issues in Louisiana, combined with overcoming Louisiana's heritage of government corruption, that would give Jindal a huge advantage over Palin.
There are Democrats in Alaska too. you know ?
McCain is the reason Sarah lost
I then asked him if he felt the same way about Martin Luther King. He was guided by his values and principle, look at his speeches and how many times he referenced God. Look at what guided Abraham Lincoln to free slaves, Reagan, list can go on and on. He could not name one Godless person who did anything great for any nation or anything.
He accepted and agreed with argument and said he understands the press went after her, he would judge her in 2012 on what she does in Alaska
Side note: I'm finding a lot of people on the left are willing to listen better now that Obama elected, I think they are scared, now is time to talk to people about why conservative value make this country great. This guy would just argue before, he even said Obama’s proposed economic policies would be bad, but He think Obama will do the right thing and change. Wow after all the arguments we had during the campaign.
I disagree. Jindal is 7 years younger than Palin. and far less charismatic.
She’s not running for President and with all the $hit that’s gone on in the 8 years and that last minute eco crisis, you’re expectations are unrealistic.
You're forgiven. I'm confident saner heads will prevail, nonetheless. ;)
After the very clever way all the nominees were defamed and McCain was all that was left, I changed my way and attempted to support him holding my nose. McCain is an stubborn foolish old man who is a RINO. Palin held his butt up and I give McCain no credit for the votes the ticket got.
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