(CNN) – A new national poll suggests that most Americans don't think Sarah Palin's decision to step down as Alaska governor was a smart political move.
Sixty-one percent of people questioned in a Marist survey released Tuesday say Palin's resignation was a bad political move, while 15 percent feel it helps whatever political aspirations last year's Republican vice presidential nominee may have in the future. Eleven percent said it makes no difference, and 13 percent were unsure of its impact. Even among Republicans, 51 percent think the move hurt more than helped, with one in five GOP voters saying it was a smart move.
Palin, who stepped down last month as Alaska governor with a year and a half left in her first term in office, has been non-committal about any aspirations to run for national office, but she says that she wants to campaign across the country for candidates with ideas that she supports.
According to the poll, 43 percent hold an unfavorable view of the now-private citizen Palin, with 37 percent seeing her in a positive light and one in five unsure. Among Republicans, Palin has a 73 percent favorable rating, with 16 percent holding an unfavorable view. Independents appear split, and Democrats overwhelmingly hold an unfavorable opinion of Palin.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national survey conducted at the beginning of August had similar results on Palin's favorability.
"Our early August poll had Palin's favorable rating at 39 percent, with 48 percent holding an unfavorable view," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "So both show her just about as popular as Dan Quayle was a few months after the Bush/Quayle ticket went down to defeat in 1992."
Quayle declared himself a presidential candidate in 1994, but dropped out of the race in February, 1995.
Palin's resignation last month fueled speculation about a possible run for the White House. When it comes to a hypothetical matchup for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, the Marist poll suggests a dead heat among three possible contenders, with 21 percent backing former Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, 20 percent supporting Palin, and 19 percent backing former Arkansas governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. That's consistent with most other national surveys of the 2012 race conducted this year.
The Marist poll was conducted August 3-6, with 938 U.S. residents questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points for the overall sample, and plus or minus 5.5 percentage points for questions only asked of Republicans.
From CNN Politics
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Palin's pathetic performance in both political and private lives bespeaks of her status of being misinformed almost all the time. It really does not matter whether she is in or out of office. Her recent utterances have been utterly unwise and unsettlin', and hence her move to resign or stay in office is highly irrelevant.
I think that she sent a message to the voters that if the going gets tough she cannot be counted on to be there. Most voters will remember that on election day. I view it as just one more nail in her political coffin, one that has so many nails in it already that it would require a crane to move!!
The best thing that she could do now for the party is to fade from view (the quicker the better) so that they don't have to deal with that distraction during the next election.
Don't know and don't care. She was never anyone I would consider for any political office.
Yes it was because of the media always criticizing her every move was not good for her state. She can regroup and still have a good political career down the road. Sanford should a lesson in ethics from her.
How about more updates on John Edwards?? Why is that story buried while CNN keeps bringing up Palin? Would it have anything to do with the fact that Edwards is DEMOCRAT?
Who cares.
Whats up with this about Palin! I want more 'news' on Paris Hilton and Briteny Spears!
CNN, youre becoming more irrelevant every day when it comes to a viable news source.
Oh dear! They finally did it! A poll and a Sarah Palin story. I can finally go to sleep now! I can finally stop looking at the Ticker! (Note: Sorry, I am still going to look at the Ticker).
Many of you haters say: "who cares", you do, that's who. If you didn't care then you would stop posting all of the worthless same lame comments.
We know Palin will lose big against Obama; yet we also know she will win the Iowa republican primaries. Why is there a disconnect here?
This women was in way over her head as Governor. I think an I.Q test should be required to all who seek public office.
I'm so tired of her lying, twisting things to suit her bizzare view of reality- I wish the press would let her go already .She has some kind of mental illness, why hasn't she been put in an asylum?
Looks like all those who wish they were in the same position in the obama oval office that Lewinsky frenquinted under the desk of slick willie clinton, are posting again. They suck.
Of course it was a smart move. The barracuda is fully unleashed. She is God's chosen one and she is completely unrestrained to revolutionize the country. She will become America's greatest president and bring the country back to the RIGHT direction.
sarah who.....?
Oh No. There she is again.
Octomom/Palin 2012.
HHmmmmmm this is a big surprise....tht her quitting was not a smart move....and she has such a long history of smart moves........oh, wait, that's not right.....................
Let's do another poll.......if a fish is kept our of water, do you think it will die?
Results should look about the same..........DUH!!
stupid is as stupid does.
It was for Alaska, now we're rid of her. I along with most people just wish she'd stay home with her baby and leave politics completely as she clearly doesn't know enough to be involved. She was in way over her head and finally figured it out so she quit.
Glad she is gone, but politically it was not a smart move. Why would anyone trust her to complete her obligations as President if she could not fulfill her obligations as governor of a state. I hope she does run for president!
OBAMA 2012
Sarah Palin made a dumb and erroneous move by resigning her position as governor of Alaska. Consequently, she will miss the opportunity to develop executive leadership and management skills. She lacks judgement and knowledge on national and international affairs. She speaks before she thinks. All of these problems disqualify her for higher national office.
Was quitting her job smart? Of course it wasn't smart. She is incapable of anything "smart" because she, quite plainly isn't smart.
Does anyone really care????
Who cares about the quitter? Raise your hand.
no.
should people expect her to act otherwise?