Public split on views of John Kerry

As Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be the next secretary of state, a new poll found that the public is split over how they view the longtime senator and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.

The Pew Research Center poll found that 39 percent of respondents have a favorable view of the Massachusetts senator while 36 percent view him unfavorably. A quarter of respondents had no opinion.

Republicans, predictably, view Kerry less favorably than Democrats with only 28 percent of respondents who identify as Republican view him favorably while 55 percent of Democrats do. Independents' sentiments mirror the overall poll results as 35 percent perceive him positively and 39 percent who do not.

Kerry was nominated in December by President Obama to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. The first step in the confirmation process began today with his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The secretary of state post has served Clinton well: She enjoys a 67 percent favorability rating among respondents, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Wednesday.

Pew also asked the 1,502 adult respondents about another cabinet nominee: Chuck Hagel, who the president nominated to replace Leon Panetta as defense secretary. According to the poll, most respondents had no opinion of the former Republican senator from Nebraska, and those that did have an opinion are split. Eighteen percent have a favorable opinion of Hagel, 17 percent have an unfavorable view and 65 percent have no opinion.