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.
This is too silly for words. She's the most wildly popular Republican in years and she has four years to earn credibility with independents. There is no such thing as "too damaged" when over 90% of your party loves you.
Worry about the base first and the moderates and independents later.
The conventional wisdom on Reagan for years before he won was that he was a conservative extremist with limited appeal who would kill the party with moderates and independents. Yet once those groups got a long look at him they saw the truth and he went on to win them in droves.
The conventional wisdom on Obama at one time was that he was too extreme to the left to win in the general. Both men began with enthusiastic base support which they cultivated into movements with wider appeal. That's the path to victory.
The base is the engine of the candidate. The bigger the base the more powerful the engine. Going after a nominee because of appeal to moderates and independents is a proven failure. It's hard to imagine a Republican nominee with more inherent appeal to moderates and independents than McCain. But that appeal never translated into the necessary grassroots enthusiasm.
Moderates don't motivate. Candidates like Palin or Jindal who are passionate and consistent advocates of the core values of the party do motivate.
A VERY GOOD RESPONSE FROM LARRY SINCLAIR TO THE O’ReillyRidickulous one.
Thursday November 6, 2208 on the “O’Reilly Factor” Fox New’s blow hard Bill O’Reilly justifies to one of his viewers, his reporting Wednesday on the rumors about Gov. Sarah Palin.
In O’Reilly’s explanation he tells his viewers that “it is not my job to suppress the news, and that to not report the rumors being lodged against Gov. Palin (which O’Reilly said is news) would be the suppressing of the news. I and Fox do not suppress the news, we report it and you decide.” O’Reilly went on to state, “we at Fox do not cherry pick stories, as that is what MSNBC/NBC does.”
So Bill, “rumors” from unnamed sources attacking Gov. Palin is news and should be reported, or you would be suppressing the news, but yet allegations made openly and publicly against Barack Obama by a named source, who you have address and phone number on, was not news and the American Public did not have a right to be informed? Sorry Bill, but your double standard and cowardice is showing more and more everyday.
Bill O’Reilly, this is from a loud mouth faggot to a loud mouth egotistical blowhard, your own words from Wednesday November 6, 2008 showed you to be no different than Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, you use rumors from unnamed sources in order to try and lure Gov. Palin onto the Factor.
Challenge Bill, the election is over, so why are you still scared to report the news, don’t you think the American People have the right to know what their President Elect has been involved in? Its not like you will be accused of being racist and trying to influence the election.
bump!
To be fair Sarah’s popualarity may wane as time moves along. But if she keeps any semblance of a national profile in the next 2 years, it will not drop very much. She will still have to earn the nomination if she wants it, but I don’t think she would want it any other way.
Thanks for the ping!
Larry Sinclair should take Bill O’s place on Fox.
Love at first sight, second sight, third sight...
Well, we’ve been waiting for our new Reagan for over two decades now, after all. ;)
Sen. Dole never blamed his VP for his campaign loss. He's a true gentleman with character.
McCain is proving himself to be a sore loser.
Oh, so now polls are to be taken seriously.
Fine, here are a couple:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/us/politics/31poll.html?hp
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/05/exit-polls-age-v-race/
I know, it’s the “dying media” lying about her to destroy her, because they fear her.
If you want to hitch the GOP’s destiny to Palin’s star, that is something to be determined in the next primary. That’s fine. I don’t believe she will prevail in a genereal election—although she may do well in a primary.
I can say I am a little distressed because of all the heroine-worship.
Wonder no more...just watch these two do it!
And more coming in every day.
I am very proud of Sarah also. She gave every ounce of energy she possessed and showed such poise and integrity. It has been so difficult to watch people trash such an incredible woman. I also wrote her a letter to let her know how much many of us appreciate her.
Because of Sarah, I was willing to overlook my memory of McCain and his gang of 14 when the Republicans were finally trying to apply some muscle and use the nuclear option.
And then there was his position on amnesty.
Look at the bail-out. He went back to Washington, only to vote for corporate welfare. At that point, Sarah had him the lead. I can flat out tell you that my enthusiasm went in the tank, as did a number of others. Add to that how they mishandled Sarah so that the Sarah we saw at the convention was MANGLED by her interviews.
That’s great news! I was hoping the media hadn’t trashed her so bad she wouldn’t have a shot at 2012. I am glad Republicans have retained their common sense and skepticism.
You were fine except for this phrase.
For the position of VP, she was more than qualified.
For the position of President, I have seen no evidence she could do the job if necessary.
The other three dolts in the race were mere Senators. None of them has ever governed anything.
If you can be a small town mayor you can handle almost anything. The level of accountability is extremely high.
Otherwise, you make an interesting point.
As for me, I'm leaning toward a view that says that there were not one, but two Manchurian candidates in this race.I just don't know who holds the puppet strings.
Perhaps I misread your comment and context, but that's how it struck me.
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