Outside the Beltway

Poll: Kerry Less Popular than Everybody

James Joyner · Tuesday, September 14, 2004 · 2 comments

Matt Drudge cites a recent WaPo/ABC poll with rather stark approval numbers for John Kerry:

John F. Kerry was viewed favorably by 36 percent of registered voters, down 18 points over the past six months. But just how low Kerry’s standing has fallen cannot be appreciated fully without comparing his standing with that of other household names in GALLUP polls over the years, the POST’s Dana Milbank reported on Tuesday.

Kerry finds himself in a dead heat with Martha Stewart and Joseph McCarthy, and behind Herbert Hoover — although he narrowly beats O.J. Simpson.

Michael Jordan: 83 (2000)
Tony Blair: 76 (2003)
Pope John Paul II: 73 (2003)
Democratic Party: 54 (2004)
[George W. Bush: 51 (2004) -ed.]
John Ashcroft: 49 (2003)
Michael Dukakis: 47 (1988)
Prince Charles: 45 (2003)
Herbert Hoover: 43 (1944)
Jesse Jackson: 38 (2003)
Vladimir Putin: 38 (2003)
John Kerry: 36 (2004)
Martha Stewart: 36 (2004)
Joseph McCarthy: 35 (1954)

Fortunately for Kerry, Blair, the pope, Prince Charles, and Putin are non-citizens; Hoover and McCarthy are dead; and Stewart is in federal lockup, rendering them ineligible. Ashcroft and Dukakis are rather constrained from running, given that the former is employed by President Bush and the latter previously lost to another George Bush. If the Democrats could convince Michael Jordan to accept the nomination, doing a Toricelli, however, he might well win.

Update (1231): The quoted text from Drudge was taken verbatim from Milbanks’ article. Curiously, the information is buried at the bottom of the piece entitled “Bush’s Records Keep Trickling Out” from page A25 of the print edition. Hmm.

It should also be noted that President Bush is at 51% in the same poll, a fact that I’ve added to the list above.