Majority of Americans now view Sarah Palin negatively, poll finds
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. 
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.
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.
Well said, A# . . .
Obama doesn’t have the intellect? Where have you been?
SPOCD strikes again.
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.
`Just because you happen to agree with his ideology does make him wise or intellectually astute.’ — A#
Thanks for the admission.
Correction:
Just because you happen to agree with his ideology doesn’t make him wise or intellectually astute.
I lost the n’t somewhere……
On the contrary, EJ. Thanks for your admission that your ideology trumps logic in forming your opinions.