CNN Poll: 60% Say Palin Lacks Presidential Leadership Qualities

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 07:45:09 PM EST
Tags: Sarah Palin (all tags)

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CNN has released more results from its poll today. The initial results (pdf)have Obama ahead by 8 points among likely voters and 11 points among registered voters.

The additional poll results (pdf) released at 8pm ET include answers to this question:

Please tell me whether you agree or disagree that each of the following candidates has the personality and leadership qualities a President should have.

The results for Sarah Palin:

Likely Voters:
Agree has qualities: 37%
Disagree has qualities: 63%
No opinion: 1%

Registered Voters:
Agree has qualities: 40%
Disagree has qualities: 57%
No opinion: 2%

That's an average of 60% who think she lacks the necesary leadership qualities . [More...]

When the same question was asked on Sept. 19-21, 2008, 47% of likely voters said Palin had those qualities. That's a 10 point drop. Among registered voters, she dropped 7 points.

In another question about whether they agree or disagree with candidates on the issues, 56% of likely voters and 53% of registered voters say they disagree with Palin.

The poll, by CNN and Opinion Research, was taken Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2008.

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CNN Poll: 60% Say Palin Lacks Presidential Leadership Qualities | 15 comments (15 topical)

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I see a crude comment (5.00 / 0) (#1)
by LarryInNYC on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 08:36:01 PM EST

has apparently been removed (before I could rate it a 1).

In addition to the crude aspect that comment also stated, incorrectly, that only Palin is subjected to this kind of polling.

In reality, the very poll cited (which can be read at the link) indicates that the same question was asked about all four candidates (Obama, Biden, McCain, and Palin). Biden, Obama, and McCain all scored between 60 and 70% "have the qualities" -- and in that order from best to worst. That is, Obama scores slightly higher than McCain on this question.

I apologize for offending (2.00 / 0) (#3)
by Exeter on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 08:56:35 PM EST

your collective delicate sensabilites; ) OK, she -- lacks the y chromosome quality... better?

My point was that although John Edwards had similar qualifications in 2004, he never faced this line of criticisim from the media. I'm sick and tired of it.


why don't you look at the poll (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by Jeralyn on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:04:45 PM EST

it wasn't just a question about Palin, it was asked of all four candidates, Obama, McCain, Palin and Biden.

Perhaps if McCain hadn't picked someone so spectacularly unqualified for the job and for such obvious reasons -- to save his failing campaign and energize the radical right wing of the party -- there wouldn't be so much criticism.


This question may not (none / 0) (#10)
by Exeter on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 10:08:16 PM EST

have singled Palin out, but it was obviously a pointed question aimed at Palin. It is unusual to have vice presidential candidates included in all the polling questions of a presidential poll -- especially this late in the race. For example, in the final 2004 CNN / USATODAY poll, they didn't ask questions aimed at the vice presidential candidates. Why the change this year?


: Question Not So Unusual (none / 0) (#15)
by daring grace on Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 11:05:28 AM EST

The experience---or voters' sense of his experience---to serve as POTUS has dogged Obama throughout the campaign until just very recently when it finally seemed to be decided, more or less.
As to including VP candidates in these questions perhaps it is the very unknown quality about Palin and her abilities that makes it come up now. If, like Edwards, she became VP nominee after running for POTUS and facing that scrutiny maybe it would be behind her now. But, instead, she has had very little time on the national stage and under the intense media scrutiny.
Plus, there are the real concerns in some quarters about McCain's age/health.
BTW, I think similar questions of qualifications as VP have come up before...Quayle springs to mind.

Please read. . . (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by LarryInNYC on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:08:28 PM EST

the substance of my comment before replying.

Every candidate was "subjected" to the same polling question (and imagine that -- asking the electorate if they believe that the candidates have the characteristics necessary to be President!) I'm sure the same polling was done in 2004.

So your statement that "only" Sarah Palin is subjected to this kind of question is false. Untrue. You are incorrect -- and yet you repeat your incorrect statement.

Now, it's true that the people polled treated Palin differently than the other candidates, with only 37% believing she had the qualities necessary to be President.

So, evidently, your problem is with the concept that the American electorate be allowed to express an opinion that is different from your opinion as a Republican voter. That is, it is inherently "unfair" for people to support the Democratic ticket over the Republican ticket.

That, sadly, is the attitude that I believe is going to cost your Republican Party this election and hopefully a good many in the future. The idea that it's "unfair" for the electorate to reject the biggest doofus nominated for the Vice Presidency since Dan Quayle is pretty much all the Republican Party has to run on.

Any you people claim the Democrats run on a platform of entitlement!


I am a Barack Obama supporter (none / 0) (#8)
by Exeter on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:45:59 PM EST

I have spent all of my adult life -- often full time -- to elect Democrats. That, however, does not preclude me from speaking up when I feel that a female candidate is being subjected to a line of criticism that simply was not present in PAST presidential elections.


: Here's a link. . . (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by LarryInNYC on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:51:11 PM EST

(one of many) to a poll in 2004 asking the exact same question about John Edwards. He scored better than Palin, but worse than Biden, Obama, or McCain do now. Of course, he wasn't a total doofus (or rather, I guess he was, but nobody knew about it at the time).
You are simply wrong on this issue. The "qualities to be President" question has been a standard polling measure since I can remember reading about polls.
Palin is not getting slammed on this issue for any reason other than the fact that she is, in fact, uniquely unqualified to hold the office.

: You're saying that asking that question is (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by No Blood for Hubris on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 10:27:21 PM EST

sexist?
How silly.
When they called John Edwards "The Breck Girl," that was sexist.
When they made fun of the colors of Gore's wardrobe, that was sexist.
When they tried to paint Kerry's windsurfing as effete, that was sexist.
This isn't. You're dead wrong, Exeter.

: sorry exeter, (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by cpinva on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 10:48:37 PM EST

you're quite full of it. gov. palin is the republican candidate for veep. the same question was asked about all four candidates, she wasn't singled out. you're claim is a lie.
if you want a legitimate place to use that whine, you should have been here when sen. clinton was being constantly assaulted, with decidedly sexist comments, by the right-wingnut republicans, and their media minions, for the past 16 years, as well as the obama campaign, during the primaries.
whatever little sexism (and it's been damn little) directed towards gov. palin, pales by comparison to that received by sen. clinton, for years and years. not to mention, no one's accused gov. palin of killing anyone yet.
so belay those crocodile tears.
heck, bush's experience, prior to his occupying the oval office, was a public demonstration of his complete lack of fitness for the job of president. had the supreme court not selected him, we'd be celebrating the end of al gore's second term.
however, i should point out, the capt. of the titantic was a 37 year veteran of the sea. that didn't work out so well.

: if only the media had (none / 0) (#13)
by sancho on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 10:48:53 PM EST

pushed this line in 2000 on g. bush. gore was obviously qualified. bush was not. palin scares me b/c she's a republican playing to the base. the treatment of her , imo, has been sexist. but it worked to disqualify hillary so why not palin? i wonder when it wont work. fwiw, biden scares me--b/c he seems neither competent nor cool under pressure. two more days.

One Thing Palin and Bush Share (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by john horse on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 08:51:13 PM EST

If you asked, I bet 63 percent of Americans don't think George W. Bush has the personality or leadership qualities a President should have. Of course the difference is that Bush has demonstrated over the last eight years that he doesn't possess these qualities and Palin is only asking for the opportunity.

: I would have liked to have seen. . . (none / 0) (#6)
by LarryInNYC on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:10:39 PM EST

both Bush and Clinton included in that question. Bush to find out how low he's fallen and how much of a millstone he is around McCain neck(s).
And Clinton to see if there really is an anti-woman effect on this polling and if so (I bet there is), how much.

: How droll . . . (none / 0) (#7)
by wurman on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:13:04 PM EST

Bu$h xliii has a 24% approval rating & Gov. Palin is OK with about 30%, or less, of a random poll, so she seems to be about 6 points ahead with that crowd of knuckle-dragging, rightwingnutz who are terminally afflicted with cognitive dissonance.
As noted elsewhere, she may also have a moderate chromosomal advantage over "w" with that small percentage of the electorate.

And this poll before she got pranked (none / 0) (#14)
by 1980Ford on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 11:22:59 PM EST

It's gone viral.

Sarah Palin Pranked By Radio Duo.