As Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin prepares for the next stage of her political career, a majority of Americans hold an unfavorable view of her, and there is broad public doubt about her leadership skills and understanding of complex issues, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The Republican former vice presidential nominee remains a deeply polarizing figure, and there are warning signs for her as she emerges as a possible contender for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.
While she is still widely popular among those in her party, she has lost ground among Republicans generally and among white evangelicals.
Overall, the new poll found that 53 percent of Americans view Palin negatively and 40 percent see her in positive terms, her lowest level in Post-ABC polling since she first appeared on the national stage last summer as Sen. John McCain’s running mate.
The dip in Palin’s favorability comes as she gets ready to leave office Sunday with about 18 months remaining in her term and plans to turn her attention to national politics.
The phone poll of 1,001 adults was conducted July 15-18 and has a margin of error of three percentage points.
