Saturday, July 25, 2009

Palin's Favorability Rating Drops As She Nears Exit: Poll

WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans take a negative view of outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and although she remains popular among Republicans, her image within the party has slipped, according to a new poll.

Palin's favorabilty rating has dipped to its lowest level in the Washington Post-ABC News since she came to national attention last summer as GOP presidential nominee John McCain's running mate. Fifty-three percent of those polled view her negatively and 40 percent have a favorable impression.

Last summer, almost six in 10 Americans viewed her favorably, but her poll numbers have slipped since.

Palin, seen as a possible GOP presidential contender in 2012, is stepping down as governor Sunday, ending her term 18 months early.

Palin, who said it was time to change course, remains strikingly popular within her own party, especially with white evangelical Protestants and conservatives. Seventy percent of Republicans view her favorably. But the number who have "strongly favorable" opinions has dropped since last fall, the Post reported Friday.

The poll involved 1,001 randomly selected adults on standard and cell phones and was taken from July 15-18 with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

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