You betcha Sarah Palin is still a viable presidential candidate! Even though the governor of Alaska dropped the bombshell last week that she was leaving her post, a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds that her support among Republicans is still strong. In fact, her resignation seems to have even slightly boosted her among GOP constituents.
According to the nationwide poll, close to 67% of Republicans want Palin to be "a major national political figure" in the future. And 71% of them say they would likely vote for her if she ran for president in 2012.
Top Republican consultant Mary Matalin called Palin's move "brilliant," and conservative talk-show host Bill Bennett went on CNN to discuss the surprisingly high number of viewers who called into his show in support of Palin's decision.
"To political pros [Palin's resignation] may be a problem. To the base, I'm not sure it's a problem at all," Bennett told CNN.
And Bennett may be exactly right. Just as Republicans as a whole are unfazed by Palin's move, the poll shows Democrats and Independents are as unhappy with her as they were before, with 75% of Democrats and 55% of independents preferring she leave the national stage altogether.
According to USA TODAY, public opinion of Palin has become so polarized that her surprise announcement did little to change anyone's feelings: Seven out of 10 people say their views weren?t affected at all.
GOP consultant Alex Castellanos seconded Bennett's sentiment. He told USA TODAY:
"For Independents and Democrats, she's already not their candidate, and with Republicans her support is not based on her record as governor of Alaska."
But what would bring about such stark polarization between the parties?
Some would argue that it was Palin's in-your-face attitude and all-too publicized blunders that ultimately posited her as an inexperienced and unviable candidate. But Palin, in her resignation speech, blamed the media, calling its coverage of her a "superficial, wasteful, political bloodsport."
And Republicans echo Palin's complaints of media mistreatment. According to the poll, 75% of the GOP believes coverage of Palin has been unfairly negative.
Dana Oshiro of ReadWriteWeb.com opines that the Web is also to blame. "It?s the Internet that ignited the tournament of torment," she writes. From viral videos of "Palin drag shows" to ubiquitous photos of Palin Halloween costumes, the ex-governor became the "Internet's comic relief in an environment that might have otherwise been staunch."
Whether Palin has been unfairly portrayed in the media continues to be a hotly debated issue. But one thing seems to be certain: She has established herself as an American media fixture, loved and loathed by either side of the aisle.
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