Gov. Sarah Palin electrified the conservative base of the Republican party when she was first picked as Sen. John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate, but polls say she has become a polarizing figure since then in her home state.
Palin’s supporters regularly refer to her as the “most popular governor in America.” But while her approval rating remains sky-high among local Republicans, she’s lost the support of Democrats and independents who once formed a significant portion of her base.
“Before all this started, her approval rating was almost universally positive with independents,” said Ivan Moore, who often polls for Democrats. “She’s really taken a hit among Democrats and independents.”
Palin’s popularity with Alaska voters has dropped precipitously, from a high of roughly 90 percent this spring — long before she was selected to join the McCain ticket — to an approval rating now of around 60 percent.
Not bad for a governor, but nowhere near the support she enjoyed before making her debut on the national stage.
A statewide poll conducted Oct. 23 by Ann Hayes found about 63 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of Palin, with 47 percent having a very favorable opinion.
Palin’s negatives are about 35 percent, according to the telephone survey of 400 likely voters with a margin of error of roughly 5 percentage points.
“She enjoyed a tremendous level of support, and it’s now beginning to seriously erode,” Hays said. “That’s a significant drop in that matter of time when you consider that you should be the home-state hero.”
A Rasmussen poll released Wednesday showed similar numbers, with a 61 percent favorable rating among Alaskans.
Palin’s popularity started to slide into the mid-70s in July when the dismissal of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan first made headlines, according to separate polls by Moore and Hays.
But Palin’s popularity was back up to 80 percent by the time she was unveiled as McCain’s running mate at the end of August.
Hayes said her polling data shows the biggest loss of support for Palin was among independents, though she sees the governor falling in popularity with Democrats and Republicans, as well.
Marc Hellenthal, a pollster who regularly works with GOP candidates, said he sees a drop among Democrats and independents, but that Palin is gaining support among Republicans.
“She was the most popular politician with Democrats, but that’s not true anymore,” Hellenthal said. “She’s being viewed as more partisan now.”
State Rep. David Guttenberg, a Democrat from Fairbanks, echoed that sentiment.
“She’s no longer above the fray. She’s being mean and vindictive,” Guttenberg said. “If you’re a Democrat, she’s being phenomenally partisan. And if you’re a Republican, you’re pissed because she’s dragging down your presidential candidate.”
Even with the erosion of support among voters on the left, Palin still enjoys a 92 percent approval rating among registered Republicans in a very red state, Hellenthal said.
There are about 125,000 registered Republicans in Alaska, compared to roughly 77,000 registered Democrats. Both parties are dwarfed, however, by the nearly 263,000 undeclared or nonpartisan voters in the state, according to the state Division of Elections.
Palin’s growing partisanship could make her transition back to state politics — should McCain not win the White House — a potentially rocky one.
more...
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/oct/30/palin-sees-dip-popularity-alaska-rest-nation/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
