Pelosi's Approval Rating at New Low Since Becoming Speaker

Things have gone from bad to worse for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose favorable rating has hit a new low of 29 percent, down seven points from May, according to a new Gallup poll released today.

In a survey conducted Oct. 14-17 of 1,029 adults, Gallup found the California Democrat faring poorly among independents. Her favorability among that group has dropped nine points -- to 21 percent -- since the last survey; 58 percent of independents view her unfavorably, compared with 86 percent of Republicans and 22 percent of Democrats. (The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus four points.)

House Republican Leader John Boehner, a possible successor to Pelosi if Republicans regain control of the House next month, scored better with those surveyed. Overall, 27 percent view him favorably vs. 31 percent unfavorably. However, those ratings are more negative than in 2009.

However, when it comes to Boehner, the Gallup numbers show only 58 percent know enough about him to have an opinion compared to 85 percent for Pelosi. Similarly, a CNN/Opinion Research poll in early September said only 45 percent had an opinion of Boehner. So, if Democrats had hoped to make a target of Boehner as Republicans have done with Pelosi, they have a smaller one to shoot at.

If Pelosi is looking for something positive in the new poll, Gallup has provided it -- though it's hard to say how much reassurance it offers: The current House speaker isn't as bad off as then-Speaker Newt Gingrich was at his lowest point. In April 1997, just 24 percent of Americans viewed Gingrich favorably and 62 percent unfavorably.

As Politics Daily's Patricia Murphy reported Tuesday, a September NBC/ Wall Street Journal poll found that Pelosi had a 22 percent approval rating and a 50 percent disapproval rating, making her less popular than President Obama, Boehner, Gingrich and Sarah Palin. Only BP had an equally high negative rating -- 50 percent -- in the poll. In light of that, Republicans are blanketing the airwaves before the 2010 midterm elections in an effort to link dozens of vulnerable House Democrats to Pelosi and the policies she has championed.