Sarah Palin: Unknown Nationally, Popular in Alaska

Sarah Palin: Unknown Nationally, Popular in Alaska

Friday, August 29, 2008

One measure of how well John McCain kept his choice of a vice presidential running mate secret is that 67% of voters nationwide have no opinion one way or the other about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that she is unknown to 78% of women.

In fact, among 10 leading Republicans included in the poll, Palin’s name was the least recognized.

However, in Alaska, the 44-year old Governor and hockey mom earns good or excellent ratings from 64% of voters statewide. Just 14% say she is doing a poor job. In a state whose senior Republican Senator has been indicted for ethical violations, 84% say Palin is at least as ethical as most politicians. Most (51%) say she’s more ethical than her peers (full demographic crosstabs available for Premium Members).

Palin is only the second woman to ever be on a major national political ticket after Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. Her choice is clearly aimed at peeling away disaffected female voters in the Democratic Party still smarting from Hillary Clinton’s failure to grab the nomination – and Barack Obama’s decision not to even consider her for the number two slot.

Nationwide, four percent (4%) have a Very Favorable opinion of Palin while seven percent (7%) have a Very Unfavorable view. Twenty-one percent (21%) hold less firm opinions of her and are evenly divided.


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http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/sarah_palin_unknown_nationally_popular_in_alaska