The latest poll ratings suggest that many Republicans have turned
negative towards Gov. Sarah Palin after her surprise resignation
announcement.
Reports CNN:
A majority of Americans think Sarah Palin is stepping down as
Alaska's governor for political reasons, according to a new
national poll, with a majority of Republicans now saying that
they do not believe that Palin would be an effective president.
Only 33 percent of Republicans questioned in a CBS News survey
released Monday night say that Palin would have the ability to
serve effectively as president. Last fall, 71 percent of
registered Republicans felt that way.
"It's unclear whether the change in Republicans' view of Palin
is the result of her decision to step down as governor, or
whether the GOP rank-and-file felt they had to defend their
party's vice-presidential nominee during the campaign but don't
feel the same tug of party loyalty today," said CNN Polling
Director Keating Holland. "Either way, this is bad news for
Palin, whose first task in 2012, if she runs for the White
House, will be to convince Republican primary voters to support
her."
It will be interesting to see how these numbers move if
she stays involved in politics. Voters have proved willing
to forgive many things over time, but quitting the governorship
prematurely might prove to be a tougher sell if she
runs for president.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).
