Who do Americans want for vice president? A new poll has answer
Donald Trump had better not pick Sarah Palin to be his running mate, according to a new poll.
A Monmouth University survey released Thursday tested out six potential veep picks for both of the presumptive major party nominees. And of those 12 names, Palin was the biggest standout, with a whopping 42 percent of registered voters saying they'd be less likely to vote for Trump if she's added to the Republican ticket. That number goes up to 54 percent of voters who are undecided or leaning toward one of the third-party options.
Only 13 percent of registered voters say picking Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, would make them more likely to cast a ballot for Trump, a number that drops to 7 percent among undecided voters.
On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Bernie Sanders appears to have the most upside as a running mate, with 39 percent of registered voters and 50 percent of undecideds saying they'd be more inclined to vote for Hillary Clinton if he's on the ticket.
The only other potential Democratic vice presidential pick that could be a real net positive for Clinton, according to the survey, is Elizabeth Warren, who would make 24 percent of voters more likely to vote for the Democratic nominee among registered voters and 25 percent among undecideds. However, 21 percent of registered voters, and 22 percent of uncommitted voters, say picking Warren would make them less likely to support Clinton.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Housing and Urban Development secretary Julian Castro did little to help or hurt the Democratic ticket either way. Minnesota Sen. Al Franken might prove to be a slight drag on the ticket, with 21 percent of registered voters and the same percentage of independents saying they'd be less likely to vote for Clinton if he's her running mate.
On the Republican side, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst would have little bearing on Trump's prospects, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Speaker Newt Gingrich are both net negatives for Trump.
While 20 percent of registered voters and 15 percent of undecideds say adding Christie would make them more likely to vote Trump, 28 percent of registered voters and 36 percent of undecideds say it would make them less likely. As for a Gingrich pick, 24 percent of registered voters say they'd be more likely to vote for Trump if he's added to the ticket, versus 26 percent who say less likely. Among undecideds, 19 percent say Gingrich would make them more likely to vote Trump, while 29 percent say the opposite.
The one Republican pick who might really help Trump, it turns out, is Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who just announced he's running for reelection. Twenty-seven percent of registered voters say they'd be more likely to vote for Trump if Rubio is his running mate, versus 20 percent who say less likely, and 26 percent of undecideds say Rubio would nudge them toward Trump, while 21 percent say it would make them less likely to vote for the Republican ticket.
"You have to wonder what may have happened if Rubio had not changed his mind about running for re-election to his senate seat," said Monmouth polling director Patrick Murray in a statement. "While there is no love lost between the two, perhaps these poll numbers would have led Trump to take a second look at 'Little Marco'. But probably not."