Whether it was the criticism he drew from Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh or his own criticism of trickle-down economics, Pope Francis appears to be more popular on the left than the right.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll released Wednesay found plenty of love to go around for Pope Francis, who was named Time’s person of the year on Wednesday. Overall, he’s viewed favorably by 69 percent of all American adults. The pope’s infallibility also seems firmly in check among his stateside flock: 92 percent of American Catholics said they view him favorably, compared with a mere four percent who view him unfavorably.
Sixty-four percent of all adults and 85 percent of Catholics said they approve of the direction Pope Francis is leading the church.
While majorities of all ideological and partisan groups also approve of the pope, he has more fans among liberals and Democrats. Seventy-one percent of Democrats and 72 percent of liberals said they approve of the direction the pope is leading the church, compared with 65 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of conservatives.
And Pope Francis is viewed favorably by 77 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of liberals, compared with 68 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of conservatives.
In his economic speech earlier this month, President Obama invoked the pope’s critical remarks of trickle-down economics, a capstone to a year in which his papacy was widely embraced by American liberals.
After sounding off on the church’s obsession with social issues in September, Pope Francis took aim at conservative economic orthodoxy late last month — criticism that drew pushback from both Limbaugh and Palin.
The former Alaska governor subsequently said it was not her intention to criticize the pope.
