Gallup Official: Less Than 0.5% Say Sarah Palin Speaks For GOP
As I noted below, the new Gallup poll asking people who speaks for the GOP conspicuously did not mention that anyone cited Sarah Palin when answering this question.
I wasn’t sure whether those mentioning Palin might have been lumped into the “other” category, which scored nine percent, so I checked in with Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport to ask if he could give me more precise numbers.
Newport told me that the percentage who cited Palin is all of … less than 0.5%.
That means that of the 1,015 national adults who were asked who speaks for the GOP, Newport said, less than five people cited Palin.
That is an infinitesimal fraction of the amount who said that Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, or Newt Gingrich speak for the GOP.
What makes this striking is that Palin has gotten far more media exposure (though hardly always favorable) than any other prospective 2012 GOP candidate, with the possible exception of Gingrich. Palin is frequently quoted in the media attacking Obama, or doing something that resembles attacking Obama, at any rate. But no one associates her with leadership qualities or sees her as speaking for the party.
“She did not come to Americans’ minds when they were asked this question,” Newport said, delicately.
Update: It’s probably worth adding that Palin was the GOP’s candidate for Veep less than a year ago, too.
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Are you trying to tell me she’s just another pretty face? That’s so sexist!
“What makes this striking is that Palin has gotten far more media exposure”
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Yea, with Greg S leading the charge! Does this mean that we can expect that Greg will stop writing so many posts about her? Please?
Kurtz has an interesting take – and appears to take bloggers such as Greg S somewhat to task:
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“Sarah Palin remains a polarizing figure! Polarizing for the media, that is . . . Palin’s timing was good because we’d pretty much exhausted the whole Are-Rush-and-Newt-the-Face-of-the-GOP meme, anyway. And plenty of pundits would rather yak about her chances in 2012 than discuss, say, the deductibility of employer-provided health insurance . . . Palin, of course, has been hard at work in Alaska . . . But journalists don’t really care about Alaska, except as an exotic backdrop to highlight her caribou hunting . . . Palin gets the Republican base pumped up. But I found very little about her on conservative blogs yesterday, while liberal sites were fired up.”
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/10/AR2009061000788.html?referrer=facebook
sbj, you seem to have qualms with Greg in some way. If you really have so many problems with the way this site is run, why do you come here?Your comments are not contributing to the discourse. They are only taking pot shots at Greg. Give it a rest.
On topic: I think it is really striking that even though she has had so much media exposure about her saying just as ridiculous things as Gingrich, etc, she doesn’t get the recognition. This seems to me to say that just because you put yourself out there you aren’t guaranteed to get results. Or at least the results you want.
“Kurtz has an interesting take”
not possible.
Dang gotcha media!
You betcha and I TOLD YA SO!
LOL!
@Argoth: I don’t understand why I can’t criticize what Greg chooses to emphasize in an effort to get him to cover other topics. I come here because I am an open-minded conservative who enjoys reading opposing viewpoints in an effort to learn more. Greg encourages commentary, including such as mine. If offering an alternative viewpoint does not contribute to the discourse . . . I’m not sure how to respond to that. How can one contribute to a discourse only by agreeing and parroting the same opinions back and forth? Are you here only to reinforce opinions you already hold or are you at all interested in listening to the opposition? Kurtz offers a different take – why wouldn’t you be interested in reading it? To quote a famous blogger (and I don’t think he’ll mind): “why not make ‘em argue? makes it more fun.” Kurtz is widely read and some of his points are in direct contrast to what Greg is writing about – I think it was appropriate to provide a link and a snip. I don’t see the harm. Greg knows that I am a big critic who sometimes disagrees with his opinions or his emphases but who also greatly respects his skills – particularly his reporitng abilities. I will politely attempt to avoid troll behavior or dominating any discussions.
Heard her nattering away in that high pitched “perky” and intensely irritating voice about how wonderful William Seward was and immediately thought to myself….”How could anyone conceive of this person serving as President of the United States? She’s got a borderline college education, clearly no sense of history, foreign policy or common sense, and yet she appears day in and day out in the media as if she were an Oracle of Delphi.”
dweb – o please – you didn’t even mention the worst – I mean, no one in red cork-soled shoes with decals on her damn toenails is going to be president of the United States – end of damn story.
If Sarah Palin is SO silly and irrelevant, why the obsession? Clearly the Left noted her appeal, and are out to eliminate the threat- it’s not like it’s not obvious.
And she’s been highly successful in life while ignoring the left-wing feminist model… this helps to explain the extra dose of venom in the attacks.
Of course, the Democrats are plenty afraid of Palin coming-back at them in 2012 with a dynamic and complementary VP like Bobby Jindal… or visa versa.
And they surely have reason to fear her- Palin is the most popular governor in the country… are all those people idiots? Alaska was a pretty corrupt system until she stepped in. Her reforms took on entrenched politicians (inc. Republicans), a mafioso-style union boss, and Big Oil.
Wouldn’t it have been nice if Obama had been principled and brave enough to confront the corrupt Chicago Democratic Machine?
Or shady political operators like Tony Rezko?
Racist preachers?
Instead of doing business with every last one of them?
Go get em, Sarah- and don’t mind the press, nobody will be listening to them anymore after the pending Obamamania implosion- and once the ties of GE and others with media holdings to the Obama administration are fully exposed.
Drill, baby, drill…a big deep hole out of which there is no escape, that is.
sbj – “@Argoth: I don’t understand why I can’t criticize what Greg chooses to emphasize in an effort to get him to cover other topics. ”
Because this is not your blog – it’s Greg’s and he picks the topics and if you don’t like it – start your own damn blog. You are annoying.
@Tena: But Greg encourages feedback like mine (”post on something more relevant”). Talk about hypocritical – you yourself “bitched” about the superficiality of the Palin posts. C’mon now, Tena – it’s Greg blog!
Reaganite Dinosaur: your boogiemen (Rev. Wright, Rezko) aren’t big Democratic leaders, are they? Why would anyone need to confront them? Oh, because the “conservative” propagandists tried to make a big deal out of them. But you all are mad because not nearly as many people dance to their tune. WAAHH! And if Palin is SO popular, why did only 5 out of 1015 Republicans name her as a leader? Could it be that same “appeal” that kept her disproportianately in the spotlight in the first place?
Heh heh heh, dweb said “Oracle of Delphi” That’s a good one ! Actually, you could fit in any one of the scores of loony Republicans that the liberal media flock to for “insight”
I’m pleased to have sbj posting here. He (or she) is bright and often poses challenging questions (along with some that aren’t). I’d read Kurtz’ piece earlier today and it’s certainly true that reportage on Alaska has been minimal though I don’t think there’s much difference with Hawaii or Washington State for example. And Kurtz’ own coverage of the media has itself been easily as shallow as the general tendency of the media to avoid the complex.
@sbj: Sorry, but substantive contribution does not mean crying “you aren’t covering the topics I want covered!” at every turn. Like Tena said, you want certain topics not covered? Go write your own blog about them. Further, just because it is about Sarah Palin doesn’t automatically make it bad. Now if it were a story about how she ate cereal instead of bacon and eggs and how that was disregarding the american people, I would be right along with you. However this is not. All I am trying to say is: you don’t like the posted topic? Fine. But to go on here and post things insinuating that Greg is stupid or practicing bad journalism based on the fact that he covers a topic that you don’t want to read is dumb.
“you yourself “bitched” about the superficiality of the Palin posts. C’mon now, Tena – it’s Greg blog!”
I’m saying this one more damn time – I don’t ***** all day every day and you do.
You never fail to ***** and it’s annoying. Either get with it or leave.
Can I post that Howard Kurtz reminds me of Bob Saget?
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@argoth and Tena: If you could just both get together and provide for me some “comprehensive posting guidelines for the opposition” then we can clear this up. (In other words, I’m not trying to be rude or disruptive and it’s absolute folly on your part to try to dictate what someone can post about – get over it.)
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Thanks, Bernie! Right back at you.
@Tena: Now I see why you’re so uptight; you’re not getting ****ed enough! So get out there and try some ****ing and try getting ****ed. Maybe even **** yourself a bit. (Seriously – what did the ******s stand for?)
@Tena: Oh, female dog. Never mind. I’ll try to be a bit more agreeable from now on.
AS I said in another post:
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President Obama and Hillary Clinton quite simply (especially Obama, of course) raised the bar so HIGH for national politicians, that the GOP camp just will not be able to compete for a LONG time.
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Queen of Alaska, Mittens, Walnuts McCain, Rushbo, Newtwich, Cheney the Dark Lord, or those dippy governors from Louisiana and Minnesota are not, will not, and could not be viable options for 2012. Can you imagine the circus atmosphere of their presidential primary — where each tries to out crazy the other? I hear Rahm laughing his *** off somewhere…
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At any rate, we all see what a brilliant, masterful (and yes, at times ruthless) politician President Obama is. What an enormous political talent looks like. Even Repub’s are secretly in awe over it. They have NO SHOT until (at least) 2016.
@sbj: You need to learn to read bud. “comprehensive posting guidelines for the opposition”? Like I said, something substantive rather than attacks on the writer of this blog. You say you aren’t trying to be rude, but your actions only indicate you have some personal beef with Greg.
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I in no way want you to stop posting. I am just saying that being a jerk on here and going on some crusade doesn’t do anyone any good. You want Sarah Palin coverage to go away? Don’t click on the link and post and hope others don’t too. There are plenty of other topics that you can contribute to.
It’s not really surprising. There’s only so much oxygen to go around and Limbaugh-Cheney-Gingrich have been sucking it all up.
Combine that with her being governor of a state that is way far away from the snakepit that is DC politics and there’s nothing at all surprising about the poll result.
At this point in time, it’s likely a good thing for her. I can’t imagine anyone really wanting to be spokesperson for the Republican party at this point in time.
Frequently I stop and think, What if…what if McCain and Palin had somehow managed to steal the election? Where would we be now? (Remember what kos wrote on Nov. 5: “I woke up this morning and thought, holy ******* ****.”) Then I breathe a big sigh of relief. I think I know why Greg and others blog about Palin…I have the same strange obsession with her, as if she just can’t be for real yet some people (very, very few apparently) seem to take her seriously. She’s just so you-betcha ridiculous! But I can’t get enough of her!
The left-wing media has been attacking Sarah Palin in full force since she appreared on the National scene last August.
Calling her a “small town Governor” and a bimbo.
I don’t believe polls –
And anyone who thinks Sarah is naive, inexperienced or stupid, hasn’t taken the time to sit and listen and believes whatever Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson said in their mean-spirited interviews.
And now some idiot VHS comic compares Gov. Palin to herpes.
And David Letterman says that A-Rod “knocked up the Governor’s daughter during the 7th inning stretch.”
Willow is 14 years old and Letterman is a sick, pathetic 62 year old man.
He later said that Palin went to Bloomingdales to update her “****** flight attendant look.”
Where is the outrage.
“Back in the day”- Letterman would have been, fined, suspended or FIRED?
How about if someone something about his child, born out of wedlock?
Or called HIS wife a ****?
Dispicable.
Oh, Alec…David Letterman never EVER joked about which Palin daughter ARod “knocked up”. Since the 18-year-old one who HAD been knocked up by her redneck boyfriend has been in the news since 9 months ago, why are you not assuming it’s HER?
The younger one, who accompanied Palin on this trip, only attracted attention because of her ripped-jeans short shorts at the Autism Walk and presence on the stage where her mother was speaking.
When you Palinistas and Sarah Palin and her family and sycophants stop reacting to EVERY FRICKIN’ joke and criticism aimed her way, and let it slide off your backs, Sarah Palin might begin to be taken seriously by other GOP leaders, the 99.5% of Republicans who think she does NOT speak for the party, and comedians who might look for other more reactive targets.
Well, that would be the case if Palin wasn’t nearly incoherent nearly every time she opened her mouth, except when she was plagiarizing someone else’s words in her speeches…
When is the last time the Republican candidate had anything to do with their “leadership”??
Bush the elder? Nixon?
My point is that Palin is clearly a spokes-marionette and little else. And therefore is entirely electable. By republicans, of course.
If they were sensible they’d be called Democrats.
ohhh nice info need more like this, herpes is definitely not addessed like it should be.