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71% Know Pelosi is a Democrat, but Most Don’t Know Other Congressional Leaders
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Seventy-one percent (71%) of American voters know that Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat, but most don’t know enough about other Congressional leaders to even hazard a guess. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that only 13% of voters had never heard of Pelosi, the first woman to ever serve as Speaker of the House and the highest ranking Democrat in government today.

However, 32% have never heard of Pelosi’s counterpart in the United States Senate, Harry Reid. Another 20% don’t know if he’s a Republican or Democrat while 40% correctly identified him as belonging to the same party as Pelosi and Barack Obama.

Forty-five percent (45%) have never heard of Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader. Another 29% can’t guess at which party he belongs to but 22% identify him correctly as a Republican.

The Republican leader in the House, John Boehner, is even less well known to the nation at large. Fifty-four percent (54%) of voters have never heard of him while 27% don’t know his party affiliation. Sixteen percent (16%) correctly identified Boehner as a Republican.

Joe Lieberman, former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and famous friend of the current Republican Presidential candidate, is better known than the Congressional leaders. Just 7% of voters say they’ve never heard of him. Another 19% don’t know his party affiliation. Lieberman lost the Democratic nomination in his last run for the United States Senate. He was re-elected as an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrat’s in the Senate to give that party majority control.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters view Lieberman as a political independent. Twenty-four percent (24%) say he is a Democrat and 11% think he’s a Republican. Lieberman has been mentioned by some as a potential Vice Presidential candidate to run with McCain this year but voters aren’t enthusiastic about that possibility.

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Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

The Rasmussen Reports Election Edge™ Premium Service offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage available anywhere.

Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.

Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters
June 20, 2008

Which political party do these people belong to?

 

Pelosi

Lieberman

Never Heard Of

13%

7%

Don't Know

12%

19%

Republican

4%

11%

Democrat

71%

24%

Independent

1%

39%

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