The good news? That’s still not as bad as Levi Johnston’s net favorable rating was in Alaska when PPP polled it last fall. The bad news? It’s slightly worse than John Edwards’s net favorables in North Carolina as of January 2010.
How does a guy who fathered a child with his mistress during a presidential campaign while his wife had terminal cancer poll better than Captain Crotchshot? Good lord, people. Don’t make me declare the “sympathy for Weiner!” backlash officially underway.
70% of voters nationally have an unfavorable opinion of Weiner compared to just 8% with a positive one. He’s really burned his bridges with pretty much everyone. Certainly his numbers are their worst with Republicans. He has a 3/85 favorability spread with them. But it’s hard to take much positive from his 14/60 standing with independents or the 8/63 he pulls with Democrats either.
60% of voters think he should resign to only 25% who think he should stay in office and 15% who don’t offer an opinion. A plurality of Democrats (46/34) think he should step aside as do a majority of independents (54/28) and pretty much all Republicans (81/11). Interestingly men (66%) feel much strongly than women (55%) that Weiner needs to go.
The difference, I guess, is that these are national numbers for Weiner whereas Edwards’s numbers were from his home state, where there’s bound to be some residual goodwill for a local boy even under the worst of circumstances. Sure enough, a poll of Weiner’s own constituents taken a few days ago found that they wanted him to hang on. The issue’s now probably academic per Ed’s post this morning about a looming resignation, but I’m curious to see how his district reacts if he comes back from treatment defiant and insisting he won’t quit even though Democratic leaders just ordered a Code Red on him. It would take an insane amount of arrogance for a guy who’s done what Weiner has to try to turn his clinging to power into some sort of populist, anti-Beltway rebellion, but if it’s insanity and hubris you want, you’ve come to the right congressman. Interestingly, House Democrats declined to strip him of his committee positions this afternoon during their caucus meeting, which could mean either (a) they think he’s done and don’t want to pile on or (b) they think he’s not done and don’t want to antagonize him further lest he come back and start sniping at the leadership in the media. Exit question: Is there really no one at all inside the caucus who knows this guy’s next move? That’s what you want in a congressman, I guess — total unpredictability.
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