The Volokh Conspiracy
Mostly law professors | Sometimes contrarian | Often libertarian | Always independent
Hillary Clinton Is "Most Admired" Woman by Americans
Reports a Gallup poll -- which also reports that a whopping 9% of respondents so labeled her (and her favorability-unfavorability rating is 36%-61%).
The Gallup summaries are here (9% say they admire her most, above any other woman), and here (36% favorable rating, 61% unfavorable). The first summary mentions the limitations of the survey:
The 9% who name Clinton is the lowest percentage she has received since 2002, when 7% named her in another close first-place finish. Clinton won the title this year in the same poll she registered a personal low favorable rating. This indicates she remains top of mind for enough people who like her to be named more than any other woman in response to the open-ended question, finishing ahead of some women who may be better liked overall but are not as prominent in people's minds.
But this makes me wonder about the significance of the "most admired" label in the first place -- and makes me wonder how many people who hear just the headline soundbite ("Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Retain Most Admired Titles") might end up getting quite the wrong impression.
Another way of noting this: Donald Trump is listed as the second-most-admired person in the country -- or you can say the most-admired current political leader (thus excluding Barack Obama, who beats Trump by 3%). But given that only 14% of American voters say they most admire him, and his favorable-unfavorable rating is at 38%-56%, would it be particularly enlightening to label him as "Most Admired Current Political Leader"?
