TRENDING: Poll: Palin hot amongst Republicans, others not so much
Washington (CNN) – For many Democrats in Washington, a Sarah Palin presidential run would be a dream come true.
As their thinking goes, Palin's popularity among Republican base voters in early primary states would be enough to swamp the rest of the 2012 field and vault the conservative firebrand to the GOP nomination.
But in a general election, her standing among independent and swing voters, which began to crater in the closing weeks of the 2008 presidential race, might be too much to overcome.
New (admittedly early) polling data suggests that very scenario could play out if she decides to seek the White House.
According to a new Gallup survey, 76 percent of Republicans have a favorable opinion of Palin - the highest rating among any of the presumed presidential candidates. The former Alaska governor also maintains the strongest name recognition of any potential candidate, while only 20 percent of Republicans view her unfavorably.
Palin is trailed by Mike Huckabee (a 65 percent favorable rating), Newt Gingrich (64 percent) and Mitt Romney (54 percent). Bobby Jindal, who has yet to signal any serious 2012 intentions, had 45 percent favorable rating among Republicans.
Among all Americans, though, Palin's numbers are upside down. More Americans view her in a negative light (47 percent) than a positive one (44 percent). What's more, only nine percent of Americans haven't formed an opinion of the former Alaska governor, making it difficult for her to correct that deficit.
Romney, meanwhile, appears to have repaired his image among Americans since the height of the contentious Republican primary battle in February 2008, when his unfavorable rating was at 46 percent. Now, 36 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Romney, with 28 percent having an unfavorable view.
The Gallup poll surveyed 1,020 adults between July 8-11 and has a sampling error of +/- 4 percentage points. Several potential candidates, namely Tim Pawlenty, were not included in the survey.
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