Poll: Hillary, Obama More Qualified To Be President Than Any Major Republican

A new Rasmussen poll has some bad news for Republicans who want to be President:

U.S. voters think Hillary Clinton is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama, but most believe that both Democrats are more fit for the White House than three top Republicans interested in the job.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 57% of voters feel Clinton is qualified to be president, but 34% disagree and say she is not.

As for President Obama, 51% say he is fit for the job. However, 44% say he is not qualified to be president, even though he has now served 17 months in the job.

Nearly as many (49%) say former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, an unsuccessful candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, is qualified to be president of the United States. Thirty-two percent (32%) say Romney is not qualified, but another 20% are not sure.

Just 35% of voters say former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is qualified to be the nation’s chief executive. Nearly half (48%) say Gingrich is not fit for the office. Seventeen percent (17%) are undecided.

As for Sarah Palin, ex-governor of Alaska and the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, only 26% feel she is qualified to be president, but 61% do not. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure.

While some will concentrate on the fact that Hillary seems to poll better than you, a fact which is largely a reflection of Obama’s overall job approval numbers, it’s somewhat significant that three Republicans who are mentioned constantly as being candidates in 2012 are not perceived as being qualified for the job.

They’re gonna need to fix that, although in Palin’s case I don’t think it will be possible.

FILED UNDER: 2012 Election, Public Opinion Polls, US Politics, , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Claire Solt PhD says:

    Romney and Palin are following the same strategy. That is endorsing and helping conservatives get elected. with both conspicously backing Nikki Haley, I wonder if we are not seeing a coordinated efffort that will emerge as the R ticket. Might just be unbeatable. whereas I strongly favored Romney in 08 because he has a record of success and I relly liked Turn Around, I recently read No Apology and am not sure he is what we need now. On our lat go round with the disruptive left we elected anti communist Richard Nixon. He and J. Edgar Hoover chased these subversives down and jailed or deported them. That is what we most need now, but I don’t see anyone strong enough and clear thinking enough to do the job.

  2. An Interested Party says:

    Romney/Palin “unbeatable”? Wishful thinking…the same kind of wishful thinking that causes some in right-wing circles to burp out the idea that Hillary will challenge the president for the nomination in 2012…delusional, at best…and J. Edgar Hoover hardly needs to be put on a pedestal, considering his illegal activities in pursuit of “subversives” while largely ignoring organized crime…

  3. James Joyner says:

    Nobody’s thought of as presidential until they’re plausibly close to being president.

    Hillary achieved that by virtue of being the presumptive Democratic nominee for so long and then coming very close in the primaries. She’s only added to her stature since.

    Obama is, of course, actually president.

    Most people have only a vague idea of who Romney and the others, save Palin, are at this point. And Palin is, well, Palin.

  4. oops says:

    Obama is too professorial. He always prefaces things with, “it’s not about me”, “I will”, me me me. He’s just too into himself and over his head, and people are starting to realize this.

    Hillary is wonky but she’s relatable, as well as competent. You know she wouldn’t be shooting blanks, trying to kick anyone’s “ass”.

  5. Zelsdorf Ragshaft III says:

    That poll must have been of democrats. I fail to understand the reason behind this post. Doug, do you think because some people think Obama is qualified to be President it will increase his ability to do the job in a competent manner? The poll I like is the one showing his approval rating. It is in the 40% range. So, what you are trying to say here is while 42% think Obama is doing a good job, 51% think he is more qualified to be President than any Republican. Who did you vote for Doug? Be honest.

  6. Dude, it’s from Rassumusen.

    A polling firm that is biased toward Republicans

  7. sam says:

    “As for Sarah Palin, ex-governor of Alaska and the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, only 26% feel she is qualified to be president, but 61% do not. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure.”

    Well, shoot, and here I thought Caribou Barbie had a lock on the nomination. Darn.

  8. sam says:

    Forget Doug — Zels thinks Rasmussen is some kind of hair gel.

  9. Michael Reynolds says:

    oops:

    Yeah, I hate all that use of the first person singular just because he’s talking about things he will be doing. In the first person. Singular.

    Oh yeah: he’s uppity all right.

    He should be using the royal “we.” Then you could find him uppity for using the royal “we.” Just as soon as you looked up the phrase, the “royal we.”

    Or maybe he could replace all singular first person with references to “my administration.”

    Then you could denounce him for taking possession of something that belongs to the entire American people.

    Uppity, uppity, uppity. Doesn’t matter what he says: he’s definitely uppity.

  10. Juneau: says:

    He’s not uppity – he’s just a narcissistic ignorant empty suit that is so poor at administrating anything that he doesn’t even bother to try – he simply starts searching immediately for someone (anyone) to blame when there is a tough decision to be made or things aren’t going well.

    The man is a joke. Louisiana is dying and he can’t – or won’t – even get the feds off the back of the folks trying to save her coastlines and waterways. Pathetic…