Most Say Palin Not Fit for Presidency and Her Resignation Hurt Her

By CQ-Roll Call Staff | July 8, 2009 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A third poll has weighed in this week on how Americans are viewing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin after her surprise announcement that she was resigning this month, and this one says a majority of voters say her decision makes them less likely to support her if she runs for President and also believe she's not fit to hold the office.

Sarah Palin (Scott Ferrell/CQ)

By 55 percent to 37 percent, voters said Palin was not fit to be President, according to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted July 6-7. Fifty-seven percent said her decision to resign her job with 18 months to go made it less likely they would support her, 30 percent said more likely and 14 percent weren't sure.

Voters are split on how they view Palin, with 46 percent seeing her favorably and 45 percent unfavorably. The margin of error is 3.2 points.

A USA Today/Gallup poll released yesterday asked its questions somewhat differently with 54 percent saying it was not too likely or likely at all that they would support Palin for President and 43 percent saying it was very or somewhat likely they would. Seventy percent said Palin's decision to resign had no effect on whether they viewed her favorably or not.

A Rasmussen Reports poll, also released yesterday, said 40 percent of Republican voters thought her resignation decision hurt her chances as a 2012 presidential candidate, 24 percent said it helped and 28 percent believed it made no difference.

PPP's Dean Debnam said of his firm's findings: "It's not surprising Palin's overall favorability numbers haven't declined since most folks inclined to dislike her already did before she announced she was resigning as Governor. But even among people with a positive opinion of her this move seems to have raised some questions about her judgment such that a majority of Americans don't think she's fit to be President."

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