There is a lot of talk about Hillary Clinton lately, but that’s not helping the public’s opinion of her, according to a new Gallup poll.
While a majority of Americans continue to have a favorable opinion of her, it’s been on the steady decline since 2012 when it hit 66 percent. Now, 54 percent view her favorably, which is down from 59 percent in February.
Her favorability rating is the lowest it’s been since Aug. 2008 (54 percent), when she was gearing up to speak at the Democratic National Convention and endorse then-Sen. Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential nomination.
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Here’s a closer look at her historical ratings:
For the most part, Hillary’s favorability rating has been closely tied to Bill Clinton’s, but the latest numbers don’t follow that pattern.
Bill’s favorability rating currently is at 64 percent, and with the exception of the 12-point difference the two had in March 2007, this is the farthest apart they’ve been since Hillary was a candidate for U.S. Senate.
But what does it all mean?
From Gallup:
“Hillary Clinton’s era of higher favorability appears to be ending even before she announces whether she will run for president. Americans typically rate non-political figures higher than political ones on this measure, and her favorable ratings before, during, and after being secretary of state are consistent with that phenomenon.
“Though her husband’s influence is far from Hillary’s greatest selling point, he may be better positioned to help her on the campaign trail than he was last time, with his favorability up five points from what it was in mid-2006. But if Hillary does run, the boost she receives from him may be limited if it is similar to 2008, with his past favorability so closely married to her own in the backdrop of a presidential campaign.”
