Public Policy Polling: Palin trails Sheen with independents

via publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com

We've found a lot of brutal poll numbers for Sarah Palin so far in 2011: down in South Dakota, down in South Carolina, down in Arizona, only up by 1 point in Texas, only up by 1 point in Nebraska to name a few. But this has to be the worst- independent voters say they would support Charlie Sheen over Palin for President by a 41/36 margin. Seriously.
Despite her deficit with independents Palin does lead Sheen 49-29 overall. We also tested Barack Obama against Sheen and the President leads 57-24.
Sheen is one of the most unpopular figures we've ever polled on. 10% of Americans rate him favorably to 67% with a negative opinion of him. The only people we've ever found worse numbers for are Rod Blagojevich in Illinois (an 8/83 favorability spread), Jesse Jackson Jr. in Illinois (a 10/73 favorability), and Levi Johnston in Alaska (a 6/72 favorability). Sheen's -57 spread ties what we found for John Edwards in North Carolina the last time we polled him (15/72).
Sheen's unpopularity is pretty universal across party lines so it says something about the level of polarization in the country right now that Democrats would support him by a 44-24 margin for President over Palin and that Republicans would support him 37-28 over Obama. People may not have any respect for Sheen but they still think he'd be a better alternative than their opposing party's leading figure.
Obviously Charlie Sheen's not going to run for the White House but the Palin numbers are one of the more interesting benchmarks yet pointing to just how minuscule her chance at the Presidency would be even if she did decide to get into the race.

Posted via email from poobumwee's posterous

Skywatch Friday

Topical Skywatch with the Australian Election Tomorrow, 21 August. This is our local Labor MP, who is likely to be reelected in the seat of Kingston in the Southern Suburbs of Adelaide. Posters like these adorn every light pole, stobie pole and public space. I can't vote, but hope the 14.5 million Australians registered to vote,  enjoy their civic duty. In Australia, voting is mandatory.

More Skywatchers here.

Cubans to Vote for Tito Castro

From The Australian

Fidel Castro has been nominated as a National Assembly candidate, signalling that the ailing Cuban leader is not yet ready to give up politics and could even return to the presidency.

The 81-year-old communist leader, not seen in public since he temporarily stepped down in July 2006 following surgery, was included on a list of candidates for national elections to be held on January 20 in Santiago de Cuba, where he has traditionally been nominated for office.

To applause and cheers of “Viva Fidel, viva the commander in chief”, municipal officials in Santiago de Cuba unanimously approved Mr Castro’s nomination on a list of 25 candidates for the National Assembly.

They are going to have to tilt the bed quite a bit to get him to stand. Actually I am surprised that he has be elected. I thought that he was a dictator for life if we are to believe our American Friends.

Perhaps he is emboldened by the Venezualan President Hugo Chavez's attempt to rule for ever. Seems the Venezualans rejected that plan. Unfortunately our Russian friends seem happy to trust Mr Putin with this kind of power. Look out for some serious sabre rattling in that part of the world. I doubt that there will be much ammo dumped on Tehran in that environment. That and Musharaf in Pakistan, who is a raving loony and he has nuclear weapons. Unfortunately not too much oil, which may explain why there is such subdued sabre rattling by our Yanqui War Wishers, along with soothing democratic whispers.

When are these Dictators going to take their nutty ideas out on some punching bags in the gym and leave their monstrous egos in the bedroom.

The world may well be a better place if this was to happen.