The Numbers
A Run at the Latest Data from ABC's Poobah of Polling, Gary Langer
Gary Langer is director of polling at ABC News, where he's covered the beat of public opinion for nearly 20 years - conducting and analyzing ABC News polls, evaluating data from other sources and setting the news division's standards for poll reporting. Langer has won two Emmy awards for ABC's reporting of public opinion polls in Iraq, and The Numbers blog was honored this year as winner of the 2008 Iowa Gallup Award for Excellent Journalism Using Polls.
ARCHIVES
SUBJECT INDEX
RECENT POSTS
- In Afghanistan Decision, Risks Abound
- Views on the Terror Trials
- Sarah Palin: Rogue for President?
- Chasing Feathers
- Tomorrow's Elections: An Obama Referendum?
- Schwarzenegger's Nastygram: One in 10 Billion?
- Executive Pay? Cut Away
- Pols, Polls and Pushback
- On Nuclear Iran, Diplomacy and Sanctions are Preferred to Hostilities
- Polling, Politics and Nobels
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Joe Biden: Popular, but he's no Obama
April 27, 2009 7:08 AM
(This is one of two items I'm filing this morning; see the other, on views of U.S. relations with Cuba, here.)
If part of Joe Biden’s job is to stay in the boss’ shadow, he’s doing fine.
Fifty-seven percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll have a favorable opinion of the vice president, a respectable rating in this most basic measure of personal popularity. But it’s far short of Barack Obama’s 72 percent favorability, the highest at 100 days since Ronald Reagan.
And while 46 percent of Americans have a “strongly” favorable view of Obama, that falls even more sharply, to 20 percent, for Biden. The top dog clearly is the star.
Some of the differences with Obama may simply reflect exposure; more people have yet to form an opinion of Biden. But there are some groups in which he’s notably less popular – including some of his own affinity groups. Just 48 percent of senior citizens see Biden favorably, vs. 62 percent for Obama – even though Biden himself is a senior, at 66 years old, while Obama’s 47. And Biden’s a white Catholic, a swing voter group – but his popularity among white Catholics is 14 points less than Obama’s.
As with Obama, there are sharp partisan and ideological differences in views of Biden. Eighty-two percent of Democrats see him favorably, dropping to 53 percent of independents and 26 percent of Republicans. Similarly it’s 84 percent among liberals vs. 60 percent of moderates and 37 percent of conservatives. At the extremes, he’s popular with 89 percent of liberal Democrats, but just 21 percent of conservative Republicans.
Biden’s also much more popular among young adults (69 percent favorable) than their elders, particularly seniors. And he does better among better-educated Americans – 67 percent favorable among post-graduates, vs. 56 percent of those with less education.
Though he’s considerably less popular than Obama, Biden may find solace in another direction. In a Gallup poll last month just 30 percent of Americans expressed a favorable opinion of former Vice President Dick Cheney. Even as he trails the president in popularity, Biden beats his own predecessor by nearly 2-1.
(See our full 100 Days poll here.)
April 27, 2009 | Permalink | User Comments (13)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
But no one can touch Michelle. Maybe she can run if Barack's ratings are down by 2012? OK, maybe 2016/2020...
Posted by: matt | Apr 27, 2009 7:48:19 AM
BIDEN and Obama are nothing but good time liars.
Posted by: hitttler | Apr 27, 2009 7:55:10 AM
a new poll released by Harris Interactive shows that only 34 percent of Americans would vote for Obama.
Posted by: scat | Apr 27, 2009 8:01:00 AM
Joe Biden got 1.0031 % of the vote in the primaries. Perhaps the American people knew something Obama doesn't ?
Not to worry, though. Joe has been tasked by Obama to keep an eagle eye on those Tarp funds to make sure none get stolen. But what's this? According to Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general, fewer than 5% of banks receiving government aid have responded to a request about what they have done with their bailout money. Say it ain't so, Joe. Is that on the special "transparency" web site Obama made sure a big deal about? Or did Obama figure everyone has forgotten about it by now? Just ask Joe, he has the web site "number". Hasn't Joe called those banks yet? Go get 'em Joe! You got them running scared now! Nothing gets past you! Joe? Joe? You there? Where'd you go Joe? Joe?
Posted by: realitycheck99 | May 1, 2009 2:38:44 AM
VP Biden is a UNDERCOVER BROTHER!!!!
SPEAKS HIS MIND AND TELL IT LIKE IT IS!!!!
I like VP Biden!!!!
I give him a grade A+!!!
Posted by: sisterdearest09 | May 2, 2009 10:24:17 AM
I can't see how the Left can make fun of Palin when Biden is such a blithering idiot. Between he and Pelosi, the Dems really don't have much room to talk.
Posted by: Bill | May 9, 2009 3:30:16 PM
Bill, you need to do some research. Your own party is making fun of palin, and for good reason. The lady from Alaska is a joke. The sooner the repub's figure this our the sooner they will become viable again. Obama is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest presidents of all time, and unless the GOP figures this out, 2012 will be over before it starts.
Posted by: pt | May 11, 2009 11:11:17 AM
Biden is only popular in the late night comedy shows and embarrasses himself each time he speaks in public. The best thing that has been in his favor is the President keeping a tight rein on him.
Posted by: Roger | May 13, 2009 8:40:48 PM
Obama is over exposed. Too much like a celebrity. Bring the troops home quit spending money. If he even considers creating new jobs well can we elect someone else? Stop stem cell research...
Posted by: Suzie | May 17, 2009 8:09:25 PM
Biden's popularly is only with the late night TV host for material. If the President was smart, he'll keep this guy locked away in the East Wing and away from any news media.
Posted by: Roger | May 18, 2009 8:12:07 PM
I can't understand how any Real American can think Ether are doing OUR Country good. They say it's the Baby Boomers is why Social Security and Medicare is going broke, That could be the Biggest Lie yet, The Government has been Stealing OUR money for years, Every time they wanted money for some ear marks or any thing else they stole it out of SS. All of Us older People know this and can remember, obama thinks We are stupid enough to believe the Lies that keep coming out of his mouth. If someone would just do the math they would see.Most of the People that do draw SS don't live long enough to collect what They have paid in and a lot die before they get a penny of Their money and what about the People that have paid in most of their Lives and SS will be gone before they can get Theirs and now he wants to raise the age limit Again!! Hoping We will die off too. The Entrust alone should be a extremely large amount of money? And Medicare, If You do draw SS they take out money for that before You ever see Your check. The Truth is the Government Stole Our money and instead of paying it back they are Lying and lining their pockets and giving it away to other Countries and Illegal Aliens that haven't paid a penny to SS or Medicaid. Hundreds of Thousands of Men and Women Died fighting for Our Freedom and now obama is destroying everything They Fought for. Now he want to tell Us what kind of cars We can drive. This is OUR Country and little by little They are taking OUR FREEDOM away. WE have to Stand Together and Stop It!! he Not a King and We sure aren't his peasants, like he Thinks.
Posted by: Tray | May 26, 2009 2:44:22 AM
Global Warming?? If You remember the Government outlawed the coolant R12 witch was used for Air Conditioning and Refrigerators and replaced it with R34a and placed a very large fine for anyone caught releasing any R12 into the air because they said it was destroying the Ozone that caused Global Warming, But every time the Government sent a rocket or Space Shuttle into Space they were dumping Tons of the R12 into Space and once again the blame went to US the American People!! Just one more lie to cover their doings!! Now W are stuck with obama witch every other word that comes out of his mouth is a LIE, if a snow flake was a lie that they couldn't hide from Us it would be like a Mountain of snow that they do hide!!
Posted by: Tray | May 26, 2009 3:54:21 AM
Joe Biden is the best reason to pray that the Secret Service can protect the president. As bad as Obama is, I fear Biden would be worse.
Posted by: Oonogil | Aug 27, 2009 5:47:09 AM
Post a comment
