Ann Romney Is More Popular Than Ever, But Michelle Obama Still Leads

Oct. 10, 2012— -- Ann Romney is more popular than ever.

The wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has jumped 12 points in favorability since April, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.

While 40 percent of Americans held a favorable view of Mrs. Romney in April, that number is now 52 percent. Part of that increase likely has to do with her new national visibility. She has been appearing in public more since her husband won the Republican nomination, delivering a speech at the Republican National Convention and hosting ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday.

This is something Michelle Obama has done for the last four years, having appeared frequently on shows such as "The Rachael Ray Show" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to promote issues such as supporting military families and healthy living choices. The first lady's favorability rating has remained constant at 69 percent.

The increased publicity seems to have been a good move on Mrs. Romney's part.

According to ABC News, 30 percent said in April that they had not made up their minds about Mrs. Romney. Now, that number has dropped by almost half to 16 percent. Her unfavorable rating has remained steady at 30 percent, indicating that those who have made up their minds about her since April view her favorably.

And while Mrs. Obama's 69 percent popularity rating is high, it's not unusual. A whopping 73 percent viewed Barbara Bush, George H. W. Bush's wife, favorably, and 66 percent of registered voters viewed Laura Bush, George W. Bush's wife, favorably. Hillary Clinton was less popular as first lady, with only 47 percent of registered voters viewing her favorably in 1996. About two-thirds of Americans viewed the current secretary of state favorably in March 2011, a jump of nearly 20 percent.

Romney's 52 percent favorable rating jumps slightly among registered voters, to 56 percent. Michelle Obama's drops just slightly, to 67 percent. And, as the poll points out, both are more popular than their husbands. Obama has a 55 percent popularity rating among registered voters, while Mitt Romney comes in at 47 percent.