Free Republic

It's well documented that Sarah Palin has problems with Democrats and independents, but the first seven states where we've looked at the 2012 Presidential election make it clear that she has a Republican problem as well. It's not that Republicans don't like her- on our last national poll 68% rated her favorably, making her easily the most popular prospective 2012 candidate with Mike Huckabee at 63%, Newt Gingrich at 57%, and Mitt Romney at 56%. It's that a lot of the Republicans who don't like her- in contrast to the Republicans who don't like Huckabee, Gingrich, or Romney- aren't willing...

McCain’s favorable rating stands at just 47/46 but it’s the grassroots’ misfortune, I guess, to be saddled with a “true conservative” champion who’s even less popular than he is. Incidentally, this is a poll of likely voters — just as Rasmussen’s polls are, of course. Except that when Rasmussen polled this same race two weeks ago, they found McCain’s lead to be just seven points. I don’t get it. What could have happened between now and then to rescue McCain’s sagging campaign and reinflate his lead?

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) not only leads his primary opponent in a new poll, but also garners a high approval rating from the GOP base. McCain leads former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) 52-37 in a head-to-head matchup. The new Research 2000 poll for the liberal website Daily Kos also shows McCain with a 76 percent favorable rating among Republicans, with 19 percent unfavorable. Hayworth's numbers are 61 percent positive and 16 percent negative. The numbers seem to indicate that Hayworth isn't necessarily seen as a superior candidate by the GOP base. If McCain is ousted, it will probably be because...