A new CNN poll contains a fun result, finding that President Obama is not the most popular person in his administration — and that he’s edged out by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom he had narrowly defeated for the Democratic nomination in 2008.
Obama’s personal favorability rating is 58%, with 40% unfavorable. Hillary Clinton is at 64% favorable, with only 30% unfavorable. Secretary of Defense Robert gates is close behind Obama at 52% favorable, 18% unfavorable.
Interestingly, Gates’ favorability is spread very evenly across partisan and demographic groups: 54% favorable among both whites and blacks, 55% favorable among Republicans, and 54% among Democrats.
Other administration figures are less known and less popular: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is at 27%-33%, Attorney General Eric Holder is at 23%-24%, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is at 28%-28%.
Finally, First Lady Michelle Obama is at 68% favorable and 19% unfavorable, which is to be expected from the high favorable ratings that first ladies typically receive in their relatively non-political role.
