Most Americans think Sarah Palin is not at all responsible for the shooting in Tucson earlier this month, but a majority found her video response inappropriate, according to a new poll.
A whopping 64 percent of voters say Palin bears no responsibility for the shooting of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords by accused gunman Jared Lee Loughner. Additionally, 45 percent of voters think Palin is treated unfairly by the media, versus 47 percent who say she is treated fairly, according to the survey by Public Policy Polling.
Her response, however, received poor marks from voters across the political spectrum. Forty percent said it was inappropriate, versus 33 percent who were unfamiliar with the video and 27 percent who approved of it. Perhaps the worst news for the former Alaska governor came from Republicans: Only 41 percent of her fellow GOPers thought Palin’s message was appropriate.
Palin’s national favorability rating is at an anemic 35 percent, against 58 percent who disapprove of the possible GOP presidential candidate. In a match-up against Barack Obama, she trails the president by 17 points. “That’s the largest deficit we’ve found for her since May of 2009,” notes PPP’s Tom Jensen. “She started last week with an opportunity to make some head way. She ended it perhaps further away from the Presidency than she’s been since the day before John McCain picked her as his running mate.”