Barack Obama Is the Most Popular Politician in the Country

[lapucelle]

according to the latest Harvard-Harris CAPS poll. The most popular serving politician as per Harvard-Harris is Mike Pence.

http://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Final_HHP_20Feb2018_RegisteredVoters_Topline_Memo.pdf

[Egnever]

1. Good lord Pence is the most popular serving politician.

That is some scary shit.

[Ken Burch]

29. It's on a basis of comparing him, mostly, to the rest of his party.

Out of THAT field, he's able to appear slightly-less unhinged than the rest-mainly because we rarely hear him talking and he appears to be calm.

[sheshe2]

2. Page 31

I see what you did there!

[grantcart]

16. ??

[sheshe2]

18. Just referring to the page where the names are listed.

I wasn't really clear in my response.

"I see what you did there" was that this poll finally has PBO's name on it...The HH poll is being posted constantly since it states Bernie was the most popular. Frankly I have done some research on HH...it does not get great grades from the consumer advocate.

[grantcart]

20. You meant page 33. 31 is simply name recognition.

[sheshe2]

24. Thank you...print was so small I had trouble reading it.

[Sophia4]

3. Did they poll for Bernie?

He is not listed as far as I can see, and they list people who polled very low so it isn't that he did not have any support.

Looks like he was left off the list.

I could be wrong because the print was so light I could hardly read it.

[lapucelle]

5. Of course Obama is the most popular now that his name is finally included.

None if the Harvard Harris CAPS polls from January - December 2017 asked about the former POTUS.

[Sophia4]

7. Obama will become even more beloved as time passes, I predict.

[lunamagica]

11. Well, President Obama was not included in that poll that we've seen posted as proof

for Sanders, so...

[NurseJackie]

4. That certainly makes more sense than other "most popular" claims...

... that have been making the rounds from time to time.

❤️😂👍

[lapucelle]

6. Funny what happens when you include Obama on the list.

[Sophia4]

8. Still, I think it is strange that they left Bernie Sanders off the list because

he has polled so high on earlier lists.

Paul Ryan???

Not very popular in my view.

Yet he is on the list.

Obama as number 1 I would expect.

[lapucelle]

13. This is the first time Obama was ever included.

Earlier lists included Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, but never Obama.

[George II]

45. And also Rex Tillerson.

[lapucelle]

47. Was the Mooch ever on the list?

[George II]

48. No, he was in and out so fast he probably missed the cycle

[Demsrule86]

38. Only the one list as I recall. I never liked that polls. I never believed Sen. Sanders was the most

popular as he was not the Democratic candidate in 16 which one would expect of the most popular politician. I don't think it matters anyway. I am glad Pres. Obama is getting the recognition he deserves.

[NurseJackie]

10. And include more respondents beyond the borders...

... of a specific state.

👍😂❤️

[Cha]

37. Yes! President Obama

should always be included in polls for politicians whether he's in Office of not.

And, we can see by the poll that so many people miss him. Obama left office with high approval ratings and it hasn't diminished.

Mahalo for your OP, lapucelle!

[ehrnst]

22. ...

[lunamagica]

9. But...but I thought it was Bernie!

[lapucelle]

15. Isn't "was" a past tense verb? N/T

[Sophia4]

50. Bernie is not on the list at all from what I can tell. They did not poll for him.

[lunamagica]

55. And President Obama was no on the list in the often cited "Bernie is the most popular

politician poll, so

[Jamaal510]

12. K&R

[SidDithers]

14. Harvard-Harris. Imagine that...nt

Sid

[madville]

17. The same poll says Hillary Clinton is the least popular at 56% unfavorable

She just edged Trump out for the top spot with both at 56% unfavorable.

Interesting that more people have a favorable opinion of Paul Ryan (36%) that that of Pelosi and Schumer (29% each).

[lapucelle]

19. HRC is the 5th most popular on the list.

Hillary is the 5th most popular politician in the country according to the poll.

1. Barack Obama
2. Mike Pence
3. Mitt Romney
4. Donald Trump
5. Hillary Clinton

[madville]

21. Page 35

HRC has the highest unfavorable totals on the next page (35).

If Obama is the most popular because he has the highest favorable %, by that same logic it would mean that HRC is the least popular because she has the highest unfavorable % right?

[lapucelle]

23. On the "most popular" page, she's listed 5th.

She's also the most admired woman in the world for a record 20th time.

http://news.gallup.com/poll/224672/barack-obama-hillary-clinton-retain-admired-titles.aspx

[ehrnst]

35. Actually, no.

In the same way that Pence is not "proved" the "most popular" because of his approval rating of a sitting politician.

I hope that clarifies things for you.

[Demsrule86]

44. She is not a politician anymore but a private citizen...so who cares...the GOP and their Russian

troll buddies did a super job of demonizing one of the smartest most capable women anywhere. And many on our side were fooled by their machinations...which is unfortunate to say the least...I would give my left arm if she was president...popular or not.

[ehrnst]

25. Sitting politicians

especially those who have a very homogenous base, rather than a diverse base, do worse than those who have a broad, diverse constituency.

Like California and NY.

It's much more likely that a very white state would be very unified in their enthusiasm about their white representative.

[NurseJackie]

34. This.

[George II]

40. Favorable and popular are two completely different things. Don't forget that she's been rated....

....the world's most admired woman 21 times, the last 16 years in a row.

[lapucelle]

26. One of my favorite pics of the former POTUS

seems especially appropriate today.

[betsuni]

31. Great picture!

[Cha]

39. That's a cutie! Oh now, I'll have to

look for a fave.

There's sooo many.. I just googled.. Obama and kids, and came up with this one on The Obama Diary..



I miss them so much!

https://theobamadiary.com/2016/09/07/chat-away-861/

lapucelle

[lapucelle]

42. Mahalo, my friend!

Link to tweet

[Cha]

49. Mahalo, lapucelle!

[mcar]

27. K&R

[Ken Burch]

30. No big surprise.

Question is, will this lead to him getting back in the game.

I could see him taking out Rahm in the Chicago mayor's race, or perhaps returning to the Senate if Tammy Duckworth were to become vice-president or president.

[lapucelle]

32. Similar ideas were floated about Bill Clinton when he left the presidency.

It seems unlikely. I think Obama will do great work as a private and global citizen engaged in philanthropy and advocacy.

[Demsrule86]

46. What president ever got back in the game?

I don't know of any.

[NurseJackie]

53. Found this...

http://history.house.gov/People/Other-Office/President-Electoral/

"Only John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts (1824) served as a Representative after completing his presidency. Both Henry Clay of Kentucky (1824) and James A. Garfield of Ohio (1880) received Electoral College votes for the presidency as sitting House Members."

[Demsrule86]

57. Interesting, but I expect President Obama has had enough.

[NurseJackie]

59. I believe so also. It's 2018, not 1824... times are different...

... and expectations have changed as well. In our current century, Obama is much more influential in private life than if he were to return to elected office.

[Demsrule86]

60. It is a miserable job...I expect it was always so...but it surely is more complicated these days.

[Ken Burch]

54. John Quincy Adams

After he was defeated for re-election in 1828- Adams was elected to Congress in 1830 and was still serving there at the time of his death in 1848.

In many respects, John Quincy Adams was a far better congressman than president-he fought eloquently against the slave trade-at one point defying "gag rules" imposed by the pro-slavery congressional leadership to prevent petitions for the abolition of slavery even being discussed on the floor of the House-and spoke eloquently against the U.S. invasion of Mexico in the late 1840s(the event described in our history books as "The Mexican War", which resulted in our country stealing more than half of Mexico's previous national territory).

Adams also spoke before the Supreme Court on behalf of the slaves who were tried for taking over the slave ship Amistad-a trial which resulted in the defendants being freed and returned to their homelands.

President Obama is young enough that he could potentially return to the Senate. And, as a former president, he could use his Senate floor privileges to speak on the issues of the day and to influence the nation's future.

[Demsrule86]

56. Right...in 1830...I don't think president Obama plans to get back in the game ...nor have another

presidents for almost 200 years.

[IluvPitties]

33. Obama is a giant of our time.

I am proud of voting for him in both occassions, and about having being alive during his presidency.

[betsuni]

36. K&R

[Gothmog]

41. I miss having a real POTUS

[lapucelle]

43. Sigh...I do too. N/T

[Gothmog]

52. I would vote for President Obama again

[DemocratSinceBirth]

51. Two points.

I'm sure he is the most popular politician in the US

The Harvard Harris poll is crap

C-




https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

[Cha]

58. Bookmarking!

[The Polack MSgt]

61. I wish he would follow Taft's example

President and the Supreme Court Chief Justice - Adams served in Congress after the Presidency, but that was almost 200 years ago.

Granted, Taft died in 1930, so he wasn't recent either...

But I feel Obama would be an outstanding Jurist - by training and inclination