IA-PPP: Obama leads Huckabee by 4, Romney by 6, Gingrich by 13, Palin by 16

[Mr. Morden]

link:

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_IA_0112513.pdf

Barack Obama 47% Mike Huckabee 43%
Barack Obama 47% Mitt Romney 41%
Barack Obama 51% Newt Gingrich 38%
Barack Obama 53% Sarah Palin 37%

favorability / unfavorability:

Mike Huckabee 42%/39% for +3%.
Mitt Romney 37%/42% for -5%.
Newt Gingrich 30%/49% for -19%.
Sarah Palin 34%/59% for -25%.

[Mr. Morden]

Palin only gets the support of 67% of her fellow Republicans in an Obama-Palin matchup.  17% go to Obama, and 16% are undecided.  On the other side, Obama gets the support of 91% of Democrats.

[Mr. Morden]

Why is Palin still considered a legitimate candidate? She's lost just about every poll by double digits to Obama.

What do you mean by "a legitimate candidate"?  Anyone with a decent shot at winning primaries (should they run) is going to get a decent amount of coverage, and treated seriously by the media, regardless of whether they'd do well in a general election.  I mean, Jesse Jackson got lots of media coverage in '88, as did Pat Buchanan in '96.  They both would have had no chance of winning a general election.  Palin (if she runs) would be at least as much of a "legitimate candidate" as they were.

[Mr. Morden]

Let me define "legitimacy" among candidates. If you're losing every poll by double digits (especially to Obama, who's approval ratings aren't great.) you're not a legitimate candidate to win the Presidency.

OK, and who exactly is treating Palin as a "legitimate candidate to win the Presidency", outside of her core supporters and Beet?  Most commentary on Palin seems to center around the fact that while she could win the nomination, she'd likely be crushed in the GE.

[Mr. Morden]

Let me define "legitimacy" among candidates. If you're losing every poll by double digits (especially to Obama, who's approval ratings aren't great.) you're not a legitimate candidate to win the Presidency.

OK, and who exactly is treating Palin as a "legitimate candidate to win the Presidency", outside of her core supporters and Beet?  Most commentary on Palin seems to center around the fact that while she could win the nomination, she'd likely be crushed in the GE.

What candidate is supported by anyone other than their core supporters?

I'm not talking about support.  I'm talking about people's assessment of a candidate's chances of winning the presidency.  That's what you said you meant by "legitimate candidate", right?  I'm saying that, for lots of other candidates, there are quite a few people who think they would have a shot against Obama in a general election.  But in Palin's case, it's mostly just her core supporters who think that.