Rich Lowry has posted an entry about the latest Diageo/Hotline poll measuring the favorable/unfavorable numbers for candidates in both parties. At this stage, these figures are far more important than the horserace between the candidates. The numbers for Giuliani, McCain, and Obama are unsurprising; the numbers for Hillary Clinton ought to be a bit unsettling for her supporters.
But the numbers for Mitt Romney are intriguing. He is still relatively unknown yet voters who have heard of him are almost evenly split over whether they like him. I wonder to what extent the controversy over his social-issues positions has played a role by galvanizing people on both sides of some of the most emotional debates in American politics.
