A new Gallup Poll suggests that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s polling numbers are now edging closer to earth:
Hillary Clinton’s favorability rating fell slightly in June to 58%, from 64% in April. That is the first sub-60% rating Americans have given her since 2008. Clinton’s unfavorable rating now stands at 39%, up from 31% in April.
The results are based on a June 1-4 Gallup poll. While Clinton has long been the most popular official, past or present, in the Obama administration, recent congressional testimony about the Benghazi controversy from so-called whistleblowers has called into question her leadership during her tenure at the State Department.
This poll shows only slight changes in the public’s overall assessment of Clinton, with her unfavorable rating now marginally higher than at any time since 2008. However, there is no telling what the future might hold, as members of the House Oversight Committee have publicly speculated that Clinton may have to testify before the Republican-led committee again.
And as with President Barack Obama, her numbers are eroding due to a loss of support among Independents:
Although Democratic and Republican attitudes toward Clinton have been static over these past contentious months, independents’ views are now notably less favorable. A slim majority (52%) of independents hold a favorable opinion of Clinton, down from 63% in April.
What does it mean? Gallup’s take:
While the broader impact of various controversies embroiling the White House is still unclear, new developments regarding the Benghazi incident may have taken a small toll on the public’s feelings toward Clinton. Her unfavorable rating is higher than it has been since 2008, though it is lower than at other points in her career. But even with the downtick in Clinton’s image — and no doubt of interest to political junkies already assessing the 2016 presidential field — her favorable rating currently eclipses that of at least one other rumored contender.
Expect GOPers in Congress and the conservative entertainment media to focus more on Hillary Clinton. But it is a long way to occupying the Oval office to looking good in polls a few years before a Presidential election and a campaign has actually begun.
If you don’t believe me, ask President Guiliani.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.