‘Birthers’ prefer Palin

Public Policy Polling breaks down its latest surveys on the “birther” conspiracies and the 2012 GOP presidential field and finds that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the most popular candidate among “birthers,” while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is the most popular among Republicans who know that the president was born in America. Among “birthers,” Palin’s favorability is 66 percent; among non-”birthers” Mike Huckabee’s favorability is 60 percent.

Tom Jensen links to a Denver Post column that makes the obvious point in a rather on-the-one-hand-on-the-other way:

I don’t believe those poll numbers. I do believe it’s what people said. I just don’t believe it’s what they think. The answers, I’m guessing, are shorthand for the anger out there — not unlike when all those polled Democrats said George W. Bush was involved in 9/11 because, well, uh, I don’t know.

If this is correct, PPP’s poll confirms that Palin’s popularity among Republicans is a function of anger toward the media and toward President Obama. Huckabee is generally liked; Palin is liked for what she opposes. And not that much of the base really likes Mitt Romney.

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