Mitt Romney Most Qualified To Be POTUS, Sarah Palin Least Qualified, New Poll Says

The only candidate who can find good news in this new Rasmussen poll is Mitt Romney:

Mitt Romney is the only Republican 2012 hopeful that a sizable number of voters considers qualified to be president. Sarah Palin is the one they view as least qualified, but, at this early stage, many voters are still in the dark about all the possible candidates.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters think that Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and unsuccessful GOP presidential candidate in 2008, is qualified to be president. Twenty-five percent (25%) say he is not qualified, and another 25% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Still, that’s well above how voters view some of Romney’s chief competitors in the race. Twenty-seven percent (27%) rate both former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and maverick Texas GOP Congressman Ron Paul as qualified to be in the White House. But 32% say Pawlenty is not qualified, and 42% are undecided.

As for Paul, 43% think he’s not qualified to serve as president, but 31% aren’t sure.

Twenty-six percent (26%) believe former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has the qualifications to be president, but nearly half (48%) disagree. Twenty-six percent (26%) are not sure.

However, voters feel strongest that Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, is not qualified. Twenty-three percent (23%) say the former Alaska governor is qualified to serve as the nation’s chief executive, but 63% say she is not qualified. Palin is the best-known of the Republicans with just 15% undecided about her.

For many candidates, especially Pawlenty, these numbers are a reflection of low name recognition and therefore is something that is likely fixable. With Palin, though, it’s entirely different – people know who she is, they just don’t think she’s qualified to be President.

 

 

FILED UNDER: 2012 Election, 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. James Joyner says:

    I think that last paragraph is key. “Qualified to be president” is a highly changeable concept. Few candidates start off considered qualified but they tend to win over the undecideds by surviving deeper into the elimination tournament of the primaries. But “NOT qualified to be president” is a different thing, indeed. That’s almost impossible to overcome.

  2. Kylopod says:

    In my experience, a lot of people define “qualified/not qualified to be president” as equivalent to “I like/dislike the candidate.”

  3. Tano says:

    OMG, and its a Rasmussen poll, no less. What is poor li’l Smoothie gonna say now?
    I guess Scott Rasmussen has joined the big conspiracy….

  4. Wiley Stoner says:

    So the people polled believe in Romney Care and AGW and those are all things Palin is against. Romney will not win the nomination. He bought into the hoax and believes government is a solution. Sarah Palin calls it a hoax and believes govrenment is the problem. The only poll that counts is the one held on November 2nd, 2012. Just say these words over and over again. Sarah Palin, President of the United States of America. Try it. It feels good.

  5. sam says:

    “Mitt Romney Most Qualified To Be POTUS, Sarah Palin Least Qualified, New Poll Says”

    Mitt Romney Most Qualified Republican Male Candidate for POTUS to Get Reasonably Correct Answer to This Question: “Who Is that?”, New Poll Says. (Also, the answer “Those Guys” voted acceptable substitute for “Mitt Romney” in response to any question about Romney and his positions on the issues.)

    Sarah Palin… Ah, well. Sarah Palin Most Recognized Reality Show Star in History of Television, Poll Shows.

  6. An Interested Party says:

    Romney will not win the nomination.

    The president can only hope so…

    Sarah Palin, President of the United States of America. Try it. It feels good.

    Rather, it feels delusional, which isn’t surprising, considering the source…

  7. Kylopod says:

    >The only poll that counts is the one held on November 2nd, 2012.

    1) The Election in 2012 will be held on Nov. 6.

    2) You seem to be forgetting the elections that will determine the Republican nominee. Those are held considerably earlier than November.

  8. Smooth Jazz says:

    “For many candidates, especially Pawlenty, these numbers are a reflection of low name recognition and therefore is something that is likely fixable. With Palin, though, it’s entirely different – people know who she is, they just don’t think she’s qualified to be President.”

    Oh lookie, lookie – Another far left blog with yet another self serving hit piece, saying the same thing they’ve said in the last 10,000 posts on Gov Palin. PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHO GOV PALIN IS. What they know is the caricature propagated by the Obamedia and left wings blogs like this. If her Emails and movie are seen by enough people – Emails and a movie that show her as an engaged and effective Gov – perhaps the caricture that has been presented will crumble. Time will tell.

    You’ve posted the same thing 1,000 times and my response to you is always be the same: If Gov Palin decides to run, voters will decide whether she is up to the task or not – not ankle biting Liberal bloggers or media polls dominated by the Obama loving NY/Wash DC echo chamber. If she gets on a stage in a debate and on the stump and does well, that will be the determinating factor – no many how many self reinforcing polls you hive up.

  9. Smooth Jazz says:

    “Mitt Romney Most Qualified To Be POTUS, Sarah Palin Least Qualified, New Poll Says
    Doug Mataconis · Monday, June 13, 2011”

    By the way, I have a question: WHY ARE YOU POSTING POLLS FROM A WEEK AGO WITH TODAY’S DATE. This poll was taken around 6/3, well over a week ago. Well before the scavengers were publicized looking through Palin’s Email for dirt; Emails that revealed her to be an engaged and arguably effective Gov.

    I knew you have this weird Palin obsession and acute PDS, but this is the first time I’ve caught you trying to pull a sleight of hand, publishing an old poll trying and trying to pass it off as today’s news – when significant new information (The Palin Email story) is out there that has occurred since then. Man, you are deep into this anti Palin obsession. Dude you are WEIRD!!! Now you’re posting outdated polls and trying to pass if off as new information.

  10. PJ says:

    Oh lookie, lookie – Another far left blog

    And then I stopped reading. Far left blog? Really?

  11. Kylopod says:

    I’m a little curious about two things, SJ:

    (1) Who are some people you consider center-left?

    (2) Who are some people you consider center-right?

  12. Tano says:

    If Gov Palin decides to run, voters will decide whether she is up to the task or not – not ankle biting Liberal bloggers

    Sorry Smoothie, but it was a poll of likely voters, nationwide, not ankle-biting liberal bloggers.

    or media polls dominated by the Obama loving NY/Wash DC echo chamber

    It was a Scott Rasmussen poll – the house polling firm of the conservative movement.

    You just can’t handle the truth…