{"id":49021,"date":"2014-03-04T15:53:57","date_gmt":"2014-03-04T20:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2014\/03\/04\/hillary-clintons-strengths-record-at-state-toughness-honesty\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:10:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:10:23","slug":"hillary-clintons-strengths-record-at-state-toughness-honesty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2014\/03\/04\/hillary-clintons-strengths-record-at-state-toughness-honesty\/","title":{"rendered":"Hillary Clinton\u2019s Strengths: Record at State, Toughness, Honesty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Survey Report<\/h2>\n\n
\"Clinton<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

If she runs for president in 2016, Hillary Clinton would bring a number of potential strengths to the race, from her tenure as secretary of state to her perceived toughness and honesty. Fully 67% of Americans approve of the job she did as secretary of state, while majorities say she is tough (69%) and honest (56%).<\/p>\n\n

The public also rejects the notion that Clinton is unlikable \u2013 a change from the 2008 Democratic primary campaign. In a memorable moment from that contest, then-candidate Barack Obama turned to Clinton during a debate and said sarcastically, \u201cYou\u2019re likable enough, Hillary.\u201d<\/a> Today, just 36% say Clinton is \u201chard to like\u201d; a majority (57%) says that phrase does not describe her. During the 2008 primary season, about half of voters found Clinton hard to like (51% in March 2008).<\/p>\n\n

However, the new national survey by the Pew Research Center and USA TODAY<\/a>, conducted Feb. 27-Mar. 2 among 1,002 adults, finds that Clinton is not widely seen as having new ideas. About half (49%) say the phrase \u201chaving new ideas\u201d describes Clinton, while 40% say it does not; 11% offer no opinion.<\/p>\n\n

And while Clinton\u2019s performance at the State Department is viewed positively, her handling of the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate at Benghazi, Libya registers as a negative aspect of her background.<\/p>\n\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Assessments<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

When people are asked to name in their own words the most negative thing about Clinton\u2019s career, \u201cBenghazi\u201d is the most frequent response, cited by 15% of respondents. Among Republicans, 28% volunteer Benghazi as the most negative aspect of her career.<\/p>\n\n

On the other hand, Clinton\u2019s tenure at the State Department is mentioned most frequently as her biggest positive (by 12%), while 8% cite her role as Bill Clinton\u2019s wife or the way she dealt with the Monica Lewinsky affair.<\/p>\n\n

\"Views<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

The survey finds that about half of Americans (51%) want to see Hillary Clinton run for president in 2016, while 43% say they would not want to see her run. If Clinton decides to run, however, most say they would consider voting for her. Nearly six-in-ten say there is a good chance (35%) or some chance (24%) they would vote for Clinton. About four-in-ten adults (38%) \u2013 including 74% of Republicans \u2013 say there is no chance they would vote for her.<\/p>\n\n

Among Democrats, an overwhelming share of liberals (87%) want to see Hillary Clinton run and nearly as many (83%) say there is a good chance they would vote for her. Fewer conservative and moderate Democrats want Clinton to run (69%); 60% say there is a good chance they would vote for her.<\/p>\n\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Fewer<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Opinions about the potential impact of Clinton\u2019s gender on her candidacy have become more positive since her first try for the presidency in 2008. Currently, 33% say that if Clinton runs for president, the fact that she is a woman would help her; 20% say it would hurt her and 44% say it would make no difference. In early January 2008, when asked a slightly different question (would Clinton\u2019s gender hurt her if she were the Democratic nominee), more said it would hurt than help (35% vs. 24%).<\/p>\n\n

\"Would<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Both women and men are more likely to say that Clinton\u2019s gender is an asset than did so in the 2008 survey. Currently, 39% of women and 45% of men say that Clinton\u2019s gender would help her; 19% and 14%, respectively, think it would hurt her. In January 2008, far more women thought that Clinton\u2019s gender would hurt rather than help (38% vs. 22%). Men were more evenly divided at that time (27% help, 31% hurt).<\/p>\n\n

Clinton\u2019s involvement in her husband\u2019s administration also is viewed more positively than negatively. In the current survey, 42% say Hillary Clinton\u2019s involvement in Bill Clinton\u2019s administration would help her, compared with 17% who think it would hurt her; 39% say it wouldn\u2019t make a difference. In January 2008, during the Democratic primaries, 42% said her involvement in her husband\u2019s presidency would help, 29% said it would hurt, while 25% said it would not make a difference to voters.<\/p>\n\n

Republicans and Democrats offer similar views of the impact of Clinton\u2019s gender on a possible presidential run. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to think that her involvement in Bill Clinton\u2019s presidency would help her (52% vs. 34%). But even among Republicans, only about a quarter (26%) view Clinton\u2019s involvement in her husband\u2019s administration as a possible negative.<\/p>\n\n

Perceptions of Hillary Clinton\u2019s Age<\/h3>\n\n

When asked an open-ended question about how old Hillary Clinton is, 57% of respondents offer an age in the 60s and 31% give an age in the 50s; very few think she is 70 or older (3%) or under 50 (6%).<\/p>\n\n

\"Most<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

In fact, the public tends to underestimate Hillary Clinton\u2019s age (she is 66). About eight-in-ten (83%) give an age of 65 or younger, 2% volunteer her exact age, and just 12% give an age of 67 or higher. The median age offered is 60.<\/p>\n\n

Younger adults (under age 30) are the most likely to underestimate Hillary Clinton\u2019s age: fully 53% think she is in her 50s while another 16% say she is under 50. Older adults are more accurate, with majorities giving an age in the 60s.<\/p>\n\n

There are only modest divides in views of Clinton\u2019s age by party, though Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans to give an age in the 50s (32% vs. 22%).<\/p>\n\n

Partisan Views of Clinton\u2019s Traits<\/h3>\n\n
\"Most<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Nearly seven-in-ten say Hillary Clinton is described as tough (69%) and 56% say she is honest. In addition, most reject the notion that she is hard to like \u2013 just 36% say this.\u00a0 Her image is not as strong when it comes to the concept of having new ideas: 49% say this trait describes Hillary Clinton, while 40% say it does not.<\/p>\n\n

While Republicans hold a negative opinion of Clinton generally, most (55%) say that she is tough. Far fewer Republicans view Clinton as having new ideas (31%) or honest (30%); 60% say she is hard to like.<\/p>\n\n

Nearly seven-in-ten independents say Hillary Clinton is tough (68%) and 52% say she is honest; somewhat fewer (44%) say she has new ideas. About four-in-ten independents (39%) say she is hard to like.<\/p>\n\n

Democrats hold positive views of Hillary Clinton across all the traits tested in the survey: broad majorities see her as tough (81%), honest (81%), and as having new ideas (69%); few see her as hard to like (20%). Liberal Democrats are especially likely to associate positive traits with Hillary Clinton.<\/p>\n\n

Women express significantly more positive views than men of Clinton on two dimensions: 54% of women say she has new ideas, compared with 43% of men. And 74% of women say Clinton is tough; a smaller majority of men (64%) say this trait applies to Clinton.<\/p>\n\n

Positive Views of Clinton\u2019s Job as Secretary<\/h3>\n\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Most<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Overall, 67% approve of Hillary Clinton\u2019s job performance as secretary of state, while just 25% disapprove. Fully 91% of Democrats approve of the way she handled her job as secretary, as do a majority (64%) of independents. About half of Republicans (53%) disapprove of her job performance as secretary of state while 39% approve.<\/p>\n\n

\"\u201cBenghazi\u201d<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

But Clinton\u2019s tenure at the State Department also brings to mind some negative feelings among the public, particularly about the Benghazi attack. Overall, 15% of the public say Benghazi is the most negative thing about her career, with nearly three-in-ten Republicans (28%) and 8% of Democrats stating this.<\/p>\n\n

When it comes to other views of Clinton, 11% of Democrats and 4% of Republicans mention her husband or her handling of the Monica Lewinsky affair as a positive. But 7% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans view Bill Clinton as the most negative thing about Hillary Clinton\u2019s career.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If she runs for president in 2016, Hillary Clinton would bring a number of potential strengths to the race, from her tenure as secretary of state to her perceived toughness and honesty. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"But Benghazi Seen as Top Negative","sub_title":"But Benghazi Seen as Top 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