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.
Gotta link?
Genius the race was called over before Alaskans could even finish voting. Palin is plenty popular in Alaska.
Then why was the vote higher in Hawaii?
Because single women with kids will vote for a sugar daddy over someone who expects them to get a job and take care of themselves.
I think some of the “boys at Fox” are in the “we need a bigger tent” school. Of course, they haven’t figured out that’s what McCain was largely about...
All I'm saying is we should try to find other options. If Sarah wants to run, fine, but how about finding some serious competition and letting the best win? Anyway, as usual, I'm in a minority view. Groupthink rules. And I get accused of following talking points. Yawn.
We need to endlessly remind them they are apparently among a whopping 3% of the party.
That's a fair enough point. I don't think the two questions I am referring to were edited. I don't think they clipped out the part where she knew what she was talking about. She gave complete answers, they were simply horrendous answers.
But let's say you are correct, it's not sufficient. That's fine with me. That's why I suggested the other day that a conservative group host a series of debates on the Constitution, and invite Sarah. Let's see her on our turf, on our terms, demonstrate her knowledge of the Constitution, and of republican government. Put her up against a liberal heavyweight, Larry Tribe or someone, and see how she does.
My problem is that OUR side is unable or unwilling to cast a critical eye towards her, and I think that's a problem.
That makes sense.
I do and they love her!
Can you help me out and provide some examples? I am not saying she's immoral. She has a lovely family. She seems to be a fine person. But just give me an example of moral courage, because I'm not sure what you mean.
I see a very charming lady who obviously is not a liberal. I'm just not sold on her as head of state. I'd like to find better. I'd at least like to find competition. People are asking me to name names, and I wish I could. I'm simply putting out an APB. It's sad the conservatives look so dimly upon the notion of COMPETITION.
bump
Actually she was the only one on the ticket I was voting for.
&&
Same here. And I suspect that we belong to a very large group.
That's obviously the big question. It's hard to believe our ranks are so barren, but then, reviewing the field from the recent primaries, it doesn't look good. You can start by tossing all of them out. I have no use for Romney, or Rudy, or Fred, or Huckabee, although of those, I think Huckabee is the strongest. But he's already been tested and failed.
A lot of people like Jindal. He's not sexy like Sarah, but he's at least as experienced as she is. He's worth tossing in the mix. I don't know much about DeMint, but he seems pretty good.
We don't seem to have a lot of options. All I'm saying is instead of starting the Sarah 2012 campaign now, I would hope conservatives would look for options, competition. I would go into the primaries with a skeptical eye towards Sarah. I'd settle for her if I had to. Hell, I voted for McCain last Tuesday, clearly I'm willing to settle.
What about you? Let's say Sarah didn't run. Can you suggest any viable altenatives? Thanks in advance for your response.
Are you not aware of the fact that Palin fought against corrupt members of her own party, against the odds, because it was the right thing to do, and won?
See my tagline. Nobody else has done anything like this, it’s the absolute standard for political righteousness and moral courage.
If you want competition, you can forget about Romney.
No valid process has taken place by which Palin’s knowledge of the constituion can be questioned, therefore the question is invalid.
The Couric interview was a test of how bad Couric and the network wanted to make Palin look. Nothing more. The interview can also be described as a fraud, as can any critique of Palin inspired by the fraudulent interview.
Because of the sinister behavior of the media the true focus is on their behavior, not on Palin.
I caution you once again, don’t let Couric manipulate you.
Where did you get those? (Maybe it’s further on down the thread - am trying to catch up B4 my wife claims the computer for the rest of the evening!)
“Bought a 10 pack of bumper stickers yesterday”
“Palin 2012”
Where did you get those? (Maybe it’s further on down the thread - am trying to catch up B4 my wife claims the computer for the rest of the evening!)
Again, no valid process has taken place by which Palin’s knowledge of the constituion can be questioned, therefore the question is invalid.
To illustrate, imagine I throw mud on you as I drive past you on the street. Then I call up your family and question your hygiene. My behavior is fraudulent, because you just took a shower that morning and the mess on your shirt was my fault not yours.
C’mon now, you didn’t need to insult Dole like that...
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