Many of us like to read the results of polls that seek to determine the opinions of our people about a wide variety of subjects. Especially fascinating are the polls that test the prospects of individuals who may run for office.
The November 2012 presidential election may seem a long time off for most of us – but not for potential candidates. They have to “get their names out” in the hope of generating enthusiasm – and raising obscene amounts of money – to have a serious chance to win. So already, some likely candidates are calculating, and many political observers are asking, “Who?”
We all know, of course, that the Democrat running for president next year almost certainly will be President Barack Obama, seeking a second term. (A great many people still haven’t figured out how Obama managed to win his party’s nomination and the election “last time.”)
But who will likely be running against Obama in 2012? There surely are several Republicans thirsting for the GOP nomination, believing Obama is vulnerable.
That’s why pollsters at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University are “feeling the public pulse” well in advance. They recently surveyed Tennesseans on their views of Obama and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a Republican. Neither of the two had majority support in Tennessee, though Obama beat Palin by a few points. (The poll didn’t ask about other potential GOP candidates.)