Buyer’s Remorse?: Clinton’s Popularity Waxes as Obama’s Wanes
There is a growing case of presidential buyer’s remorse for some Americans, according to a new Bloomberg National Poll.
Back in July when Bloomberg’s poll asked whether the country would be better off under a President Hillary Clinton, only a quarter of those polled said yes. That number has jumped to a third – 34 percent – in a poll out Friday. While a growing number of people say things would have been better under Clinton, more – 47 percent – told Bloomberg things would be about the same under Clinton as they are under Obama.
Two-thirds of Americans show a favorable view of Clinton, according to the poll and Bloomberg calls her the “most popular national political figure in America.”
The poll shows job approval rating for President Obama of 45 percent, the lowest of his presidency.
ABC News’ pollster Gary Langer said there are specific reasons for Clinton’s popularity.
“Secretary of State is a position tailor-made for broad popularity,” he said, pointing to some of Clinton’s popular predecessors like Colin Powell. “The reason is that it’s comfortably removed from the to and fro of contentious domestic policymaking – and in particular, safely insulated from responsibility for current economic conditions. Were Mr. Obama’s and Mrs. Clinton’s jobs reversed, their approval ratings likely would be, too.”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney mischievously suggested to ABC News’ Jonathan Karl recently that perhaps Clinton should challgenge Obama for the Democratic nomination in 2012.
Watch Cheney’s interview with ABC News.
Asked by CNN what are the chances she would challenge the president, her boss, for his job, Clinton told CNN they were “below zero.”