Is Hillary Clinton Likable Enough?

[Purveyor]

By Dave Merrill
October 8, 2015

According to Gallup, Hillary Clinton's net favorability rating (favorable ratings minus unfavorable ratings) is hovering at -8%. No recent successful candidate for the White House has recovered from a number that low, except one: Bill Clinton in 1992. Her drop may not be fatal, though, as comebacks are a Clinton-family distinction.

Falling Behind

Hillary Clinton’s net favorability rating, compared with ratings of successful presidential candidates prior to election



Down This Road Before

Clinton's rough start mirrors her ratings from the 2007-08 campaign.



Comeback Time?

Bill Clinton experienced low poll ratings in both campaigns and recovered.



Favorability Relative to the Field

Here's how Hillary Clinton's ratings stack up against the contenders.


http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2015-hillary-clinton-poll-drop/

[emulatorloo]

1. So should I vote for Biden or Marco Rubio? Apparently they are more "likeable" than Bernie?

[Le Taz Hot]

2. Hillary is not Bill.

As much of a sleezebucket as he was, Bill has charisma. Hillary? Nope. Not one ounce. People cringe when the see her. OK, not the swooners but everyone else.

[Adrahil]

6. I'm not a swooner, but I like her. <shrug> nt

[JI7]

11. none of the dems running have it

[emulatorloo]

17. + 1. No slam on our candidates, it is just the way it is.

[BeyondGeography]

35. Yup...weakest field in decades

[senz]

34. White House staff feared her.

She was a demanding, autocratic screamer.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-clintons-strengths-and-anger-white-house-revealed

[emulatorloo]

36. Then I would insist she pay for the beer upfront.

[upaloopa]

3. Funny the MSM and repugs work to drive

down Hillary's numbers then ask "how did we do?"

[senz]

32. Because if it weren't for the MSM and repugs, we'd all love her.

[emulatorloo]

37. You realize those same sewage pipes are going to open up on Bernie when he wins

Iowa and New Hampshire, right? SOP of right-wing noise machine. They are more than happy to make shit up.

[senz]

40. Yes, I've seen it in action here on DU.

Anything they can scrape up. As I'm sure you have too, fellow Bernie supporter.

[emulatorloo]

42. Yep I've been pushing back on these ridiculous "Mean Angry Bernie" articles posted the last few days

HRC was too conservative for me in 08' compared to Edwards*, and is still too conservative for me compared to Bernie in 2016.

That being said, I have zero tolerance for DU posts that promote right-wing sourced articles to smear any dem. If somebody's breathlessly quoting a Newsmax author-type to score points against HRC or Bernie, that's fucked up. Fortunately there's only a handful who do that.

*what a big disappointment that guy was. He talked the talk though, the two AmericA's really resonated w me.

[upaloopa]

38. Not all of us as is demonstrated daily here

But a majority of Dems want her to be their a President.

[Scootaloo]

4. Lets put that last graph into clearer perspective...

[winter is coming]

14. All my hopes are crushed.

I was really rooting for pastrami farts.

[FlatBaroque]

29. did you complete step 1 and eat pastrami? n/t

[emulatorloo]

39. Beers are part of the formula too

[senz]

24. lol!

I love the way your mind works.

[underpants]

5. Yes

And I'm not in any camp

[JI7]

7. i don't think it matters much in this case. none of the dem candidates

are actually the usual "likable" or "charismatic" type.

But neither are the republicans who are running.

This is where Biden could have an advantage if he runs.

[emulatorloo]

18. I think Trump is the most charismatic candidate in the race. Doesn't mean I'll vote for him though.

[senz]

33. Honesty, sincerity, and compassion are pretty likable.

Which is why so many people love him.

[ibegurpard]

8. I have no idea

I don't know her. I've never met her. Her likeability is not important to me. What is important to me is the feeling that I can trust her to fight for campaign finance reform, wage equity, financial industry regulation, public goods and services, reproductive rights, civil rights, and law enforcement reform. I feel like I can trust her on only some of this.

[pipoman]

9. No...not for a general election

[6chars]

10. My sense is one on one she would be very likable

Considerate, witty, wonky, concerned, self-aware, etc. As a public figure, she has been burned so many times either for saying nothing wrong or for little gaffes that get attacked that she now is more scripted - I think we get glimpses of the real Hillary, but she would be more effective if more of her real persona could come through.

[WI_DEM]

12. I like her enough

isn't that something like Obama said in 2008?

[artislife]

22. Funny...I did a search

and couldn't find it in my usual 5 minutes or less.

But I remember it pretty clearly!

[senz]

26. It's on youtube.

[artislife]

28. Thanks

I was doing a straight google search.

[senz]

31. I never understood why some people held that against Obama.

I thought he was being nice, and it shows in the video, too. He's a decent person, and it showed in the debates. Her true character also came out in the debates, not nearly so nicely, imho.

[SheilaT]

13. It seems to me that likability

is in the mind of the beholder. Hillary's supporters, I strongly suspect, either find her very likable or are sufficiently impressed with her in other ways. Those who don't support her generally don't find her very likable.

But the whole likability thing is going to matter in the long run.

[Myrina]

15. Likeable sure, but I don't trust her any further than I can throw her.

.... coming from a 1992 & 1996 stalwart Clinton/Gore GOTV / door knocker / phone banker / local-event setter upper.

[restorefreedom]

16. i like to think we have progressed beyond

the "who would you like to have a beer with" bs of gwb.

this election is SO important to the future of this country. i don't really know or care who might win a personality contest.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. She is likeable enough for me...

She is likeable enough for me and in a spirit of comity I would like to give my friends and foes alike on this board a little and a big .

[uponit7771]

20. The right dislikes and doesn't trust Clinton at all

[senz]

27. Same for the left. No wonder her scores are so low.

[uponit7771]

43. Any data on the left not trusting Clinton, her numbers are pretty good last I looked. tia

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. Very likeable...if your tastes runs to pablum and saccharine.

With a bit of moderately flavored Styrofoam to perk it up.

[artislife]

23. That sounds like a a coffee from a coin operated machine

You are so clever!

[olddots]

25. most of us don't like to be wrong

yet most of us like someone who will admit to having been wrong . ( I have no idea what that meant)

[senz]

30. I rarely like anyone I can't trust.

Phoniness is a real turnoff. Sometimes I'll like a phony, but it's nearly always someone funny, charming or brilliant, and the liking only goes so far.

So, no, she's not likable enough for me.

[demwing]

41. I like her just fine

And the further she gets from the White House, the better I like her.

Why, you ask? Easy...it's the fact that Banksters and Hedge Fundies also like her, and she like them right back. That's what gives me the willies.

[PDittie]

44. No.

Sorry for telling the truth to those who might choose to overreact to it.