(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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she's a liar
Sarah Palin has no political future so she is out to make all the money possible while people remember who she is. You Betcha!
Palin represents everything that is wrong within the republican party.
CNN why asked the question was that a smart move, when her IQ is 80.
Why are they still polling on Palin?
If things keep going ...BAD! the way they are for these DEMOS! I think she has a REAL chance...in 2012 She's showing more ..... than most of these other REPUBS!............Give the woman a chance, she couldn't do any worst than what we a seeing! Alaska isn't doing all that BAD!
Reading these comments is histarical – great comedy. Palin Power's comments are my favorite for non stop laughter.
Here is the GOP political strategy in a nut shell
-Pull the plug on grandma
-Death panels
-Birth certificate
-Socialism
-Acorn
-"I fear for my country" blah, blah, etc, etc...........
All of the above are mere fear based, irrational euphemisms for hating the first interracial i.e. black president .
I wish the republicans and the media hacks had the balls to just say it, instead of cowardly and willfully spreading lies over and over to the public to garner any relevancy.
she's a liar
So wait a minute. Palin and smart in the same sentence?
She is such an awesome person. What a patriot!!!!!!!!!! She is the last hope for the survival of America as we know(knew?) it. The left wing liberals have destroyed much of what this great country has stood for over the years. Why they are not patriotic and love their country, I will never know. When she gave that great speech at the Republican National Convention I wanted to go out and buy an American flag just so I could fly it and salute it. She is truly wonderful.
Why don't you just ignore her? That would be the best thing to do. If you miss her, you can just go watch the video of her having witches exorcised from her body by a crazy pastor from kenya. Because witches really exist and they apparently can live inside of you.
Only smart if you're a Democrat!
P/S please name one lie she has told! I can name several Obama has told but I don't see the word liar coming out of the same mouths that are labeling Palin a "liar"
I never heard such comments fr Rev Wright while I was there for 20yrs.
There will be no lobbyists in my Admin.
Sunlight before signing – 5days b/4 signing a bill
Earmark reform
Transparency
Healthcare will not add one penny to deficit
If u like ur healthcare u can keep it.
Healthcare will reduce cost
I can keep going folks
"She is God's chosen one."
wow
Ensign, Sanford, Palin. Someone in the GOP was cleaning house early in the summer (probably Newt). Bet Palin never graduated from college.
What a question? How can you ask if it's a smart move for a Lion to kill and eat an antellope? The Lion is a carnivore and he has to eat Antellpes to survive.
Sarah Palin is the most ignorant and stupid politician I've never seen and you asking if she made a smart move to resign as a governor? WOW CNN I respect your news organization but that question is dumb.
Please run for prez Baracuda Barbie. You are perfect for the tea party of "no".
With people like Palin and Phewlenty from Minnesota deciding to become presidental candidates the democrats will have no problem cleaning up in the next election....Darn I hope they both run.
CNN, why must you perpetuate the lie that we actually care about this quitter? By the way conservatives, yes, liberals ARE affraid of this woman. But not because she's "right for America" Because she is a nut, pure and simple.
She and Dick should open a hunting school. I can't believe who is allowed to make important decisions in our country. What does she know about anything?
Sarah Palin is God's Chosen One????
And you really believe that?
Our Lord God, does NOT choose sides in politics, sporting events, or any other contests of man. He grants us our skills and our minds, so that we may use them to the best of our abilities.
If Sarah Palin is your idea of the best God can do, you are seriously underestimating his wisdom.
Who cares.she will never be elected to anything anymore anyway
The best editorial cartoon I saw on this was a drawing of her and a pit bull. Her caption said "Know the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull?". Caption over the pitbull, "I'm not a quitter". I think this should be on T-shirts, it would make a mint!
A QUITTER IS A QUITTER NO MATTER HOW YOU SPIN IT!
Not a good move at all. She says she's not a quitter, but apparently has quit a few different positions. She says people should stop talking so nasty, yet she fans the flames herself. She'll likely try for future political positions, yet has taken herself out of her Governor's chair. She'd have done better to stay in her Alaska job and try to work with both sides.
A "smart move" would have been for her parents to use birth control.