Results of a new poll by Gallup shows Hillary Clinton’s devastating lead over other Democrats and Republicans who may be in the hunt for the presidency in 2016.
According to the poll, 89% of Americans are familiar enough with her to have an opinion of her. And her favorable number (50%) is 11 points higher than her unfavorable number (39%). This bests anyone else currently mentioned as a contender for prez.
The graph plots 16 potential candidates –11 Republicans and five Democrats — on a two-dimensional chart displaying their familiarity and favorability ratings. The candidates who appear in the upper-right quadrant are in the most advantageous position at this point as they are both relatively well-known and have higher favorable than unfavorable ratings. In addition to Clinton, Republicans Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee and Rand Paul reside in this space. However, Americans rate each of those Republicans only slightly more positively than negatively, with net favorable scores of +2 or +3, compared with Clinton’s +11. And Huckabee and Paul have just slightly above average familiarity. Generally speaking, the further candidates are away from the intersecting lines, the better their image.
Candidates in the lower-right quadrant — including Chris Christie and Rick Perry — are among the better-known candidates, but Americans do not view them positively overall. Joe Biden and Ted Cruz are on the edges of this quadrant. Biden is well-known, but opinions of him are equally positive and negative, while Cruz is viewed negatively but has average familiarity. The challenge for these politicians should they run for president is to alter existing perceptions about them so they are more positive than now, or alternatively, to get the smaller group of Americans who are unfamiliar with them to get to know them and view them positively.
Only Dr. Ben Carson has comparable positive favorable numbers, but his familiarity is much lower than Hillary.
The actual numbers from the poll below:
