Palin Ties Obama In New Polling

UPDATE: President Obama now has 2 points worse disapproval rating than Sarah Palin and only 7 points higher approval rating:

• President Obama Job Approval The Economist/YouGov More US Polls »

  Approve 44 Disapprove 54 Disapprove +10.0

According to the latest Rasmussen poll at Real Clear Politics President Obama's unfavorable rating is now at 52%:

President Obama Job Approval Rasmussen Reports

Approve 48 Disapprove 52

At Huffington Posts own Yougov poll released today also has Sarah Palin at 52% unfavorable

Very favorable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   17%

Somewhat favorable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       20%

Somewhat unfavorable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       15%

Very unfavorable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    37%

Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    11%

Palin's overall favorable rating was at 37% but that included a massive 73% unfavorable rating with Democrats. Palin is only 9 points behind President Obama's RCP aggregate rating! 

RCP POLL AVERAGES

President Obama Job Approval

RCP Average

Approve

46.0

The obvious point being that as far as the Republican nomination is concerned it matters not one jot what the Dem's think of her-what matters is this-her massive 73% favorable rating with Republicans. Ronald Reagan was at one point 16 points behind President Carter so the important thing is to get the nomination and then worry about head to head polling.

What is also of note is Palin's unfavorable rating is only at 51% with Independents which bodes well for the future. In contrast in the Washington Post poll of March 2010 her unfavorable ratings with Independents was 56%. 

What this means is that some the unfavorables in 2010 have now shifted into "not sure" which means she is getting more of the benefit of the doubt. This will move into the favorable area once she declares. There are now 11% "unsure" compared to 7% in 2010.

Of course there are polls and polls and this online poll has consistently shown Palin well in favorable territory for over a year-in fact she is at near year heights today, at 55% favorable