Gallup On McCain's Favorability Rating

Why does John McCain seemingly hover, untroubled, above the awful electoral foundation that Republicans have set for himself?

67 percent of Americans have a favorable perception of him today, compared to 62% for Barack Obama, to 53% percent for Hillary Clinton, according to Gallup.

These numbers have fluctuated. It seems that the more Democrats squabble, the better McCain looks. Perhaps when the Democrats finish squabbling and begin to squabble with McCain, he will regress toward the mean.

I think McCain's high favorability rating also explains why Americans seem to trust him with the economy, despite his professed lack of knowledge about the subject.

These numbers are fluid and early, and reflect a lot of three dimensional chess-playing. Crow should not be eaten; shorts should not be bunched.

Comments

62% for Obama is a very good figure. HRC again barely reaches the line.

Posted by Kelly Pierce | March 18, 2008 12:41 PM

Uh?

McCain in the only candidate that defends free-trade but he's the one who has a lack of knowledge about economy?

He may not be an economist, but either Clinton or OBama aren't.

Posted by John | March 18, 2008 12:42 PM

McCain is unknown by Americans. They only have this picture of a "maverick" which is the way he has been portrayed by the media.

Of course, he really isn't a maverick, and during the GE campaign this will become apparent. Watch his favorability be down below 50% by November.

Posted by john m | March 18, 2008 12:52 PM

They'll learn he's less of a maverick than they've heard, yes, and that may cause the number to go down a bit. Not much, though, because anyone trying to portray him as anything other than fiercely independent is going to have a difficult time of it.

And, of course, while learning about him, they're also learn more about his service time. It's one thing to know he's a "war hero" -- a term which covers a wide array of experiences. When they learn that he outright embodies the term, I suspect his numbers will stay quite high.

Keep in mind that McCain is the kind of candidate that even his opponents don't despise. In a McCain/Obama general, a lot of people will admire the man they don't vote for.

Posted by Punditish | March 18, 2008 1:00 PM

... posts should not be made.

Posted by TIGHT | March 18, 2008 1:01 PM

Wait till that clip about his ignorance of the economy gets played over, and over, and over on TV later this year while people are increasingly terrified of losing their shirts.

Posted by Steve LaBonne | March 18, 2008 1:27 PM

Let's face it. Obama and McCain are not known well. Hillary is and is not broadly liked. The general election will flesh out the candidates more than they are today. There are still a lot of people who are not paying the slightest bit of attention.
None of them have any experience with a state or fed economy so it really would be nice to know who they would appoint but unfortunately they want us to vote for them first. UGH!

Posted by linda | March 18, 2008 2:48 PM

Its natural for numbers like that to dip during a campaign. However, expect Obama's numbers to drop too. This is a polarized country after all.

The good news is that if they drop equally in the back and forth McCain still starts out on top and will probably end out on top.

Posted by Jesse | March 18, 2008 3:12 PM

Talk about a teflon candidate. All McCain has to do is avoid pooping in his Depends and the press and public love him.

Posted by InsultComicDog | March 18, 2008 3:59 PM

As an independent (and once a former Republican), I am totally underwhelmed by McCain. Seriously, does anyone find him inspiring as a leader? I'm confused why he seems to get a pass from the media. He comes across as senile, seemingly oblivious to the problems we face as a country. I'm interested to hear what he has to say during the general, and unless he can acknowledge that our current positions and policies have serious flaws, there is NO WAY on this green earth that I would consider voting for him, let alone give him a favorable rating.

Posted by bartonizer | March 18, 2008 7:16 PM

McCain is viewed favorably by many people, even those who won't vote for a candidate wwo declares John Roberts and Samuel Alito to be his ideal judges.

Read the books he's written. Study his gut reactions to some of the stupidities of his own party. Think on the remarkable tendency he has to NOT carry a grudge in the face of ...strong provocatons. Have a look at the Robert Timberg book, the Nightingale's song.

This is not 2000 or 2004 or many many past years when voting was a hold one's nose propositon. These are all good people running.

Posted by crystalcarbon | March 18, 2008 8:02 PM

John McCain is a real person. That is why
people in America will elect him....over
your sniping pair of candidates. All you
Dems think about..."Let's see, a black or
a woman?"....like 5 year olds in a candy
shop.

Posted by interferon | March 18, 2008 11:23 PM

People are fooled by McCain's smokescreen of honesty and independance -- but under scrutiny they will come to see he is the most intense a backroom dealer of them all.

Posted by frank burns | March 19, 2008 2:28 PM