Sarah Palin
As Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin prepares to leave office Sunday, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows her standing with the public is the worst its been since she entered the national limelight.
“A majority of Americans hold an unfavorable view of her, and there is broad public doubt about her leadership skills and understanding of complex issues,” Washington Post writers Jon Cohen and Philip Rucker report in analyzing the poll numbers. From the Post article:
Overall, the new poll found that 53 percent of Americans view Palin negatively and 40 percent see her in positive terms, her lowest level in Post-ABC polling since she first appeared on the national stage last summer as Sen. John McCain’s running mate.
Later in the article:
Perhaps more vexing for Palin’s national political aspirations, however, is that 57 percent of Americans say she does not understand complex issues, while 37 percent think she does, a nine-percentage-point drop from a poll conducted in September just before her debate with now-Vice President Biden. The biggest decline on the question came among Republicans, nearly four in 10 of whom now say she does not understand complex issues. That figure is 70 percent among Democrats and 58 percent among independents.
Other findings:
Americans also are split on the question of whether Palin shares their values: Forty-eight percent say she does, while 47 percent think she does not, according to the poll. Among those identifying themselves as conservative Republicans, 83 percent say she shares their values.
Fifty-four percent say Palin is not a strong leader; 40 percent say she is. Obama, meanwhile, is viewed as a strong leader by 71 percent in the poll. GOP women are more apt than GOP men to see Palin as a strong leader, and a slim majority of Americans consider her honest and trustworthy.
Steve Parker is the deputy managing editor for news, and oversees the Post-Dispatch's front page. STLtoday's online news editors are on his newsroom team. Parker has been at the paper since September 1980. 
Amazed… You’re really going to deny she used her kids as props? How often did we hear about Trig, also her son in the military, about Bristol and her kid? Take off the blinders — quick! You’re developing tunnel vision.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
You are right, hs, she practically begged the media to go after her kids. Imagine a mother taking her kids out in public…what the hell was she thinking?
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Funny how Sarah Palin wants the media to leave her kids alone after she never missed a chance to parade them before the media. It seems to me that it’s HER job (and what’s his name, her husband’s) to protect them from the media wolves.
If you want them off limits, sister, then YOU keep them under wraps.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Rotert,
At least Mr. Bush knows where his birth certificate is. Obama has been looking for that thing for months and still can’t find it. This supposedly constitutional scholar doesn’t realize that he must be a natural born citizen in order to hold the office.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
My mistake. You wrote ‘dumbest president in the last century.’ It’s still Dubya, though.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Think… Yes, I heard Obama’s comments on the radio regarding the Gates case. It was amazing. He sounded EXACTLY like Sarah Palin. You know: rambling, incoherent. In short, dumb.
Dumbest president in history? Funny. It will be a long, long time before anyone unseats the king, George W. Bush, in that regard. I’d suggest you follow the cue of your own pseudonym, Think.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Mr. Parker must be very pleased. Probably the happiest he has been since the Palin effigy was hung.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
EJ Rotert,
You are joking right? Obama is a complete moron, as shown through his stupid actions this week. Probably the dumbest President in the last century.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
“A majority of Americans hold an unfavorable view of her,”….I don’t know what picture they are looking at, but the one you’ve posted here gives me a very favorable view of her.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
There is certainly evidence that Obama is educated. But does education necessarily translate to intellect? He has ethos, which is really all one needs to be elected president. GWB had it, for that matter.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Amazed, the government worshipers’ mindset is always obvious. You can tell by the rapture expressed in their homilies to Nanny.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
On the contrary, EJ. Thanks for your admission that your ideology trumps logic in forming your opinions.
— A#
12:11 pm July 24th, 2009
You really didn’t need Rotert to actually say it, but now you know for certain what kind of mindset you are dealing with….
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Mr. Parker – is this news? Why isn’t the PD reporting about the Syrian Jews in New York selling human organs?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32102756/ns/local_news-new_york_ny/
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
On the contrary, EJ. Thanks for your admission that your ideology trumps logic in forming your opinions.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Correction:
Just because you happen to agree with his ideology doesn’t make him wise or intellectually astute.
I lost the n’t somewhere……
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
`Just because you happen to agree with his ideology does make him wise or intellectually astute.’ — A#
Thanks for the admission.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I’ve been right here, EJ, watching him make the assumption that the nation and our culture can survive a radical turn to the left. I’ve watched his plan to spend us out of an economic downturn exacerbated by past overspending. I’ve watched his developing theory that enemies sworn to destroy us infidels would be appeased by pandering. While we absolutely should never have tried to be the world’s policeman or nation builder as we have for decades; we also cannot rely on goodwill and rational behavior from religious zealots as a means of national defense.
Those are not attacks on Obama as a person. They are disagreements with Obama’s leadership as President of the United States. Just because you happen to agree with his ideology does make him wise or intellectually astute. He needs to brush up on mathematics, history, and human psychology before he tries to implement his government dominated collective Utopia.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
SPOCD strikes again.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Obama doesn’t have the intellect? Where have you been?
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Well said, A# . . .
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
My views on Palin are the same as my views on Obama and G.W. Bush. All seem very personable, sincere, and industrious. I would probably like any of them as a neighbor or social acquaintance. But, none of them have the intellect, qualifications and political perspective I could support for President.
It is a shame extreme partisans on both sides feel the need to demonize the opposition with personal attacks rather than rationally debate the issues.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
On the day that Obama polls below 50% approval, we get a story about Sarah Palin? Really?
“Today marks the first time his overall approval rating has ever fallen below 50% among Likely Voters nationwide. Fifty-one percent (51%) disapprove.”
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Another MAJOR difference, Rasmussen used LIKELY VOTERS, WAPO used adults.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0