Here's are the latest results of a poll released by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
Most Voters Like Caroline, But Only 37% Say She Is Fit for Senate
Just 37% of U.S. voters believe Caroline Kennedy is qualified to be in the U.S. Senate, and only 16% say she would be considered as Hillary Clinton's replacement if her last name wasn't Kennedy.
But 67% have a favorable view of Kennedy, including 25% who say their opinion of her is Very Favorable, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Only 23% of voters have an unfavorable opinion of the 51-year-old New York City resident, who is the daughter of assassinated Democratic President John F. Kennedy and the niece of party icon Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy, the longtime liberal senator from Massachusetts. Eight percent (8%) say their view of her is Very Unfavorable, and 10% have no opinion.
Thirty-seven percent (37%) say Kennedy is not qualified to serve in the Senate, with 26% undecided.
Among the group that perhaps matters most, however, Kennedy, scores much better. Fifty-five percent (55%) of Democrats say she is qualified to serve. Kennedy is a Democrat likely to be appointed by a Democratic governor and it may not matter much that just 20% of Republicans and 30% of unaffiliated voters believe she is qualified.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of voters say she would not be considered for the post if her last name was anything but Kennedy. One-quarter (25%) are undecided.
Sixty-three percent (63%) of male voters and 54% of female voters believe she would not be a candidate for the job if her name was not Kennedy.
The partisan divide here is equally substantial. While 76% of Republicans and 60% of unaffiliated voters say Kennedy's last name is the deciding factor, only 44% of Democrats agree.
Kennedy has been traveling around New York this week to court citizens and political leaders in her bid to replace Clinton as the state's junior senator. Her quest has been greeted with skepticism in some quarters because of her lack of governing experience, but Governor David Paterson, who will name Clinton's successor, reportedly favors Kennedy so far.
Kennedy, who is married to designer Edwin Schlossberg and is the mother of three children, is a lawyer who has worked with many non-profit organizations. She campaigned actively for Barack Obama.
On Friday, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Approval Index shows Obama with +26 rating, just two points below his highest level of support to date.
Obama has nominated Clinton to be secretary of State, requiring a replacement for the Democratic senator until a special election is held in 2010.
Forty percent (40%) of female voters believe Kennedy is qualified to serve in the Senate, compared to 33% of male voters. Forty-three percent (43%) of men do not believe she is qualified enough, but only 32% of women agree.
Thirty-four percent (34%) of married voters think she's qualified, but even more unmarried voters (42%) believe that to be the case. Forty-one percent (41%) of marrieds say she is not, compared to 30% of unmarrieds.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of African-American voters say she is fit to be in the Senate, while 17% disagree. Among white voters, the gap is much narrower: 34% say she is qualified, 41% say she isn't.
Thirty-one percent (31%) of women have a Very Favorable opinion of Kennedy, as do 19% of men. Voters age 40 and older, many of whom suffered the trauma of the JFK assassination when Caroline was just six years old, view her more favorably than younger voters.
In a July 2007 survey, John F. Kennedy was rated as the most popular of the 11 men who have served as president in the post-World War II era.
Forty percent (40%) of Democrats see Caroline Kennedy in a Very Favorable light, compared to 12% of GOP voters and 20% of those unaffiliated with either major party.
Seventy-four percent (74%) of Catholic voters have a favorable view of Kennedy, a Roman Catholic whose father famously was the first member of that religious faith to be elected president. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Evangelical Christians and 68% of other Protestants rate their view of her as favorable.
Fifteen percent (15%) of voters believe Kennedy will be a better senator than Clinton, but 21% think she will be a worse legislator. Forty-five percent (45%) say she'll be about the same as her predecessor, with 19% not sure.
Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters are in fairly close agreement on this question.
# # #
To download a copy of the report, please use this link: Most Voters Like Caroline Kennedy
