FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
There are five Republicans generally viewed as the most likely contenders for the 2012 presidential nomination.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/07/16/art.s.palin.jpg caption=""]
Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana. Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts - who actually finished his term of office and was a hugely successful businessman. Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, who actually finished his term of office.
See where this is going?
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House.
But the most popular of the Republicans seen vying for the nomination in 2012 is... you guessed it... Sarah Palin. And it's not even close.
Palin, who describes herself as a mama grizzly bear, has a whopping 76 percent favorable rating among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.
Compare that to Huckabee, who gets a 65 percent favorable rating, Gingrich 64 percent followed by Romney with 54 percent and Jindal with 45 percent.
Palin, who quit her job as governor of Alaska midway through her first term so she could run out and capitalize on her failed bid to be John McCain's vice president, is the darling of the GOP.
If anything could overcome the increasingly sour view of the Obama presidency, it might be this. The Democrats should be positively euphoric.
You see, the problem with Palin is that while Republicans adore her - the rest of the country just doesn't. According to Gallup, Palin has a 44 percent favorable rating among all Americans; and a 47 percent unfavorable rating. And numbers like this don't bode well for the general election.
Here’s my question to you: Should Democrats pop out the champagne if Sarah Palin is the most popular Republican contender for 2012?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Bob writes:
If you still believe that the majority of American voters have even a lick of sense, then you have to believe that Sarah Palin, a gifted natural TV celebrity who quit on the people of Alaska to chase fame and money (lots of money )in the lower 48, could never be elected... As presidential material, she makes "W" look like a Rhodes Scholar. The woman knows nothing, and hasn't the decency to do anything about her ignorance. The Democrats' prayer each night is: "BRING HER ON".
Mary in Hamden, Connecticut writes:
I finally have to admit that I just don't get it. Who are these people? I would pop out the champagne if Sarah Palin were nominated, because it would definitely be a gift to the Democrats. But I'd have to have two bottles so that I'd have one cork for each ear whenever she made a speech.
Koron writes:
Pop out the champagne, not, how about pop out the thinking caps. She's going to be a force to be reckoned with. It won't be Obama this time for me so I surely hope someone else shows promise.
Ed writes:
I would imagine Democrats would be dancing in the aisles at the convention if Palin is the Republican nominee. Of course at some point during the primaries she would actually have to articulate her plan – wouldn't she?
MaryAnn writes:
No they shouldn't celebrate too soon. Never underestimate the stupidity of the American voters.
D. writes:
If the Magic 8-ball, known as the GOP, fronts that gun-totin', word-mangling, half-wit, half-term, 3rd runner up beauty-pageant contestant, a/k/a "Big Mama Grizzly" as their grand idea of presidential material and potential leader of the free world, then we KNOW that Armageddon has arrived.