Poll: More Republicans like Lieberman than Democrats

RAW STORY
Published: Friday August 4, 2006

US Senator Joe Liberman (D-CT), facing the greatest challenge of his Senate career, is preferred by more Republicans than Democrats, a USA Today/Gallup Poll has found.

The national poll, conducted last Friday, Saturday and Sunday, shows Lieberman's support among Democrats declining, from 65% in 2000 to 38% last week. During the same period, support for Lieberman among Republicans grew by 3%, from 43% to 46%. In the six year period from Lieberman's 2000 nomination for Vice President, this is the first time more Republicans have approved of Liberman than Democrats.

Graph provided by The Gallup Poll.

Excerpts from the Gallup Poll's release with the poll follows...

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U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman has faced mounting difficulties among fellow Democrats in his home state of Connecticut over his pro-Iraq war stance, possibly culminating in his defeat in the Connecticut Democratic primary election for his seat that takes place on Tuesday. Local polling suggests he may very well lose that election to ardently anti-war challenger Ned Lamont. Although many pundits insist all politics is local, new Gallup polling shows that Lieberman's reputation has been sinking among Democrats nationally, not just among those from his home state.

The latest USA Today/Gallup poll finds Lieberman with the worst ratings from Democrats nationally since Gallup first measured his image in 2000. As a result, he is now more popular with Republicans than with supporters of his own party. Among Republicans and Republican "leaners," a plurality of 46% view Lieberman favorably, while 27% view him unfavorably. Democrats are more evenly divided in their attitudes, with 38% viewing him favorably and 32% unfavorably.