OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY

Hastert and Pelosi: Never heard of them (Geoff Earle, 8/12/03, The Hill)

According to a Gallup Poll conducted in late July, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), who is third in line of succession to the presidency, is unknown to 41 percent of those polled. [...]

Of those who have heard of Hastert, many seem to approve. His ratings are 28 percent favorable and 12 percent unfavorable.

Public awareness of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wasn’t much higher as 34 percent of those polled had not heard of DeLay and 42 percent did not know of Pelosi. [...]

Although Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) was not included in the Gallup survey, GOP charges that Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) was obstructing the president’s agenda appear to have had an impact.

Daschle, who is campaigning for reelection this year, has unfavorable ratings of 35 percent, exceeding his favorable rating of 31 percent. Twenty percent of respondents haven’t heard of him.

If the public faces of your party are unpopular (Daschle), unknown (Pelosi) and undecided (the presidential candidate) it makes coherent opposition to a popular President that much more difficult. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 13, 2003 7:59 AM