Does familiarity breed contempt? In the case of Sarah Palin it appears so. A new poll by the US firm Public Policy Polling has found that Palin’s unpopularity extends even to her home state of Alaska. In the Last Frontier just 33 per cent of voters have a favourable opinion of her, compared to 58 per cent with a negative view. The only place where voters take a dimmer view of Palin is Massachusetts, the most liberal state in the Union.
As Public Policy Polling notes, what makes the Alaskan numbers particularly bad is that Palin is significantly more unpopular among Republicans here than she is elsewhere. In most states roughly 80 per cent of Palin’s party have a favourable view of her. But in Alaska this falls to just 60 per cent.
Sarah Palin: popularity by state
However, far more damaging for Palin’s presidential prospects is her continuing unpopularity in the bellwether states of Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. In these states an average of just 36 per cent of voters have a favourable view of her, compared to 56 per cent with a negative one.
After another recent poll showed that 64 per cent of Americans believe she is unqualified to be president (compared to 23 per cent who think she is) the conclusion is clear: the Republicans will not take the White House back if they select Palin.
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