Poll: Paul Ryan An Unpopular Pick For VP

Will Mitt Romney’s “bold choice” to pick Paul Ryan as his running mate be a true game-changer for the Republican campaign? According to a new USAT/Gallup poll, the answer appears to be no. While Ryan may have conservatives — especially Tea Partiers — over the moon, the general public does not share this enthusiasm.

42 percent of the 1,006 adults surveyed said they viewed Ryan as a “fair” or “poor” choice, compared to just 39 percent who said he was an “excellent” or “pretty good” choice. This makes Romney’s decision to tap Ryan the least popular vice presidential pick since George H.W. Bush selected Dan Quayle in 1988.

Just 17 percent say that adding Ryan to the ticket makes them more likely to vote for Romney — about the same bump that Sarah Palin provided for McCain. Furthermore, only 48 percent believe that Ryan would be qualified to serve as president should Romney be unable to, while 29 percent do not and 23 percent are undecided. Only Quayle and Sarah Palin received a lower rate of confidence.

In defense of these numbers, Romney campaign pollster Neil Newhouse blamed the low marks on Ryan not being a nationwide household name. He told USA Today that “All these numbers indicate is the simple fact that Congressman Paul Ryan was not a nationally known figure prior to being named as Gov. Romney’s vice-presidential pick.”

In fairness, Newhouse’s assertion is not just spin; as The Washington Post points out, Ryan is virtually unknown in the critical swing state of Florida. With that in mind, the onslaught of negative headlines that greeted Romney and Ryan in Florida newspapers this morning should be especially troubling to the campaign. The Romney campaign must race to define Ryan’s legislative record — otherwise, the Obama campaign will do it for them.

Table via The Huffington Post

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

How A Stuttering President Confronts A Right-Wing Bully

Donald Trump mocks Joe Biden’s stutter,” the headlines blare, and I am confronted (again) with (more) proof that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee hates people like me.

Keep reading...Show less
Trump at Trump Tower

Former President Donald Trump at Trump Tower in Manhattan

NEW YORK, March 25 (Reuters) - Donald Trump faces a Monday deadline to post a bond to cover a $454 million civil fraud judgment or face the risk of New York state seizing some of his marquee properties.Trump, seeking to regain the presidency this year, must either pay the money out of his own pocket or post a bond while he appeals Justice Arthur Engoron's February 16 judgment against him for manipulating his net worth and his family real estate company's property values to dupe lenders and insurers.

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}