Pelosi Best Known, Least Liked of Congressional Leaders

[Purveyor]

Americans view top four leaders in House and Senate negatively, on balance

by Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ -- The top Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. House and Senate are a generally unpopular foursome, with Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi being the most well-known, but also the least well-liked. Thirty-one percent of Americans view Pelosi favorably and 48% unfavorably. Her resulting net -17 image score compares with -11 for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, -10 for Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner, and -8 for Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.



According to the April 11-14 Gallup poll, 79% of Americans have some impression of Pelosi -- favorable or unfavorable -- while 21% do not, either because they have no opinion about the California congresswoman and former House speaker, or because they have never heard of her. Overall recognition of Pelosi compares with 72% for Boehner, 65% for Reid, and 60% for McConnell.

Pelosi Also the Most Polarizing

Pelosi also rates as the most polarizing of the four congressional leaders, a distinction she also held the last time all four were rated, in May 2010. This is based on the finding that, compared with Boehner, Reid, and McConnell, she receives the highest favorable reviews from members of her own party as well as the highest unfavorable reviews from members of the opposing party.

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http://www.gallup.com/poll/162029/pelosi-best-known-least-liked-congressional-leaders.aspx

[Deep13]

1. One in 5 don't know who Harry Ried is? Wow. nt

[MrSlayer]

2. Not surprising considering the amount of abuse she's taken in political ads and whatnot.

Turtleman somehow "winning" this is beyond comprehension.

[busterbrown]

3. Yea, like Naaancey Pelowsee.

For as long as she has been in office the right wing has humiliated, disrespected and obstructed any kind of ideas she put forth....Its a very easy name to remember if you hear people everyday making lies up about who she is... Funny thing by the way happened on the way to congress....She might be remembered as the most effective leader of the House in modern times!

[BlueDemKev]

4. Nancy Pelosi was a very good House Speaker

I must admit I underestimated her when she assumed the gavel in 2007. She was effective, persuasive, and unlike the current dick who occupies the speaker's chair, actually cared about the poor, the disadvantaged, and the oppressed.

[Purveyor]

5. Yeah. That is why we have a majority in the House, right? I think she sucked as Majority Leader

and said so when leadership was being decided for the current House.

I maintain that position.

[LiberalFighter]

6. Bull. It was the teabaggers under control of the Koch brothers

[Purveyor]

7. But yet we held the White House and Senate? Indeed Nancy should have been booted as "Minority

Leader" but we must live with the our mistakes.

Stay tuned for 2014...it is only going to get worse (looking over at the Senate with wimpy Harry)

[pink-o]

8. "Impeachment is off the table" said Nancy in 2006...

Still have not forgiven her for that! Those bastards committed WAR CRIMES and at least should have been investigated by the newly-turned Democratic House and Senate.

It just seems that by the time Politicians reach the lofty heights of the Legislative Branch, regardless of party they're all bought and paid for. Now, Dems have policies that are compatible with (many) liberal ideals, but ultimately they let us down since they'll always throw us under the bus for their moneyed overlords.

So maybe that's why Nancy gets such negative ratings...? Just sayin'.

[bigwillq]

9. I will never forgive her for that.

She, and everyone else that didn't push for at least investigations, will never be forgiven in my book. Weak leadership.

[Wounded Bear]

10. Gallup? Really?

I've come to take everything they publish with a bag of salt grains....

Nancy has been villified from the right for the past 10-15 years. The only thing this study proves is that propaganda works.



One of the problems is how effective she was. The House under her leadership passed hundreds of bills that died under Repub fillibuster in the Senate. Of course, to a RWer who thinks government shouldn't do anything at all, that is not a plus.

She was probably wrong about the whole "impeachment is off the table" line, but that was politics. She was actually pretty good at politics, and maintained a fairly good record of progressive achievements, largely undercut by Repub intransigence.

[otohara]

11. The Right Has Spewed A Whole Lot of HATE on Nancy

the RW media hate machine has demonized her

[Cha]

16. Yeah, they threw big bucks at puttting the fear of their God against

Nancy Pelosi.

I saw those ads against her in 2010 before I left NY.. before I could rush for the remote, anyway.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. It's amusing that about 20% of this country have never heard of them

[Ikonoklast]

18. Not too surprising as about 22% that are eligible to never vote in any elections at all.

Because they aren't even registered to vote.

(That number continually astounds me. People fought and died for that right, people did whatever thay could do to come to this country to have a voice and vote, and so many here take it for granted.)

And the next biggest group that comprises almost 25% *is* registered, but only votes intermittently or rarely.

But they sure like to bitch and moan about the shape the country is in.

[Doctor_J]

13. The hate radio effect

No surprise.

[Akoto]

14. Would this not make mathematical sense?

I've read on more than one occasion that the approval rating of Congress is at the bottom of the barrel. If her name is generally the best known out of a group of people in that position, wouldn't she logically bear the brunt of the backlash?

Also, Gallup.

[Sunlei]

15. The upside is- it cost republican paid media billions to create this cartoon image :)

Thank you, Mrs. Pelosi

[Cha]

17. ..

[CBHagman]

19. Believable, because Americans are encouraged to focus on image and not substance.

Several observations, at least all I have time for at present:

Misogyny remains an acceptable form of bigotry, and so does ageism. The same U.S. media that tumbles all over itself to declare a male politician who used negative campaigning a "nice guy" will be much harder on a female, especially if she doesn't fit whatever fantasy they're trying to promote.

There was (and is) a laundry list of things for progressives to get done, and Nancy Pelosi had just a handful of years to get started. That she could move health care legislation at all speaks to her political skills.

Image is not substance.

Anyone can be a Monday morning quarterback or a kibitzer.