Clinton Tops Palin For Most Admired Woman Of 2009

Despite former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's whirlwind year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has edged her out for 2009's most admired woman, according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. Clinton got 16 percent of the vote, with Palin coming in second at 15 percent. Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama took third and fourth place respectively with 8% and 7%.

Palin shouldn't be disappointed with her close loss following a far from scandal-free year in the media spotlight. Since Hillary Clinton was first named the most admired woman in 1993, only first lady Laura Bush, in 2001, and Mother Teresa, in 1995 and 1996, have topped her.

In the men's poll, Barack Obama won overwhelmingly, taking 30% of the vote despite recent dips in his approval ratings. Former president George W. Bush finished in second place with 4%, topping Nelson Mandela's 3% vote. Glenn Beck and Pope Bendict XVI were neck and neck, both with 2 percent.

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Comments

[Renee Libby]

07:27 PM on 01/27/2010

But Palin won the Swimsuit competitio­n. : )

[IntellectuallyHonest]

12:14 PM on 01/11/2010

Admire in the USA, maybe, but not by most people in this world.

[ghee99]

04:18 AM on 01/07/2010

when i started to read the headline "Clinton tops Palin...."
i thought it was going to be about another one of Bill's affairs

[vancouverism]

08:33 PM on 01/07/2010

That is perhaps the worst attempt at a joke I have ever had the misfortune of reading. Get a hobby.

[ghee99]

12:07 PM on 01/08/2010

actually, its a pretty funny joke

[campgranata]

01:33 PM on 01/30/2010

vancouveri­sm could use a sense of humor. given bill's track record ghee99's take on the headline is not only humorous but possible.

[terry63]

12:06 AM on 01/07/2010

Thats news ?!

[MyTurn2020]

04:32 AM on 01/04/2010

I have little respect for media polls but I must say this USA Today Gallup poll is disturbing on a few levels. As a former statistics and epidemiolo­gy student, I have to ask the sample size of the poll, how were respondent­s targeted, and what span of time was the poll implemente­d?

First, Sarah Palin coming in a close second to Hillary Clinton for anything is an oddity. I recall 2009 being the year that Palin made a mole-hill into a mountain with Letterman (obviously seeking media attention for that book), quit her job 18 whole months before the term was up (Thanks voters!), shamelessl­y repeated the vicious"pu­ll the plug on grandma" lie to derail healthcare reform, and seem to only wanna talk to Faux News about anything remotely related to real American issues. This was one dame, even Oprah couldn't make look good.

Second, women everywhere should be alarmed that a freak like Palin could beat out Sotomayor, Sebelius, Maddow, Winfrey, or even Angelina Jolie. I'm sure you can tell how much disdain I have for a person who strives to be the nations' Vice President and upon losing quits the one position that gave her any credibilit­y. Hillary supporters must be under-whel­med by these poll results.

As for the men, I am puzzled how Bush could be more admired than Mandela. I presume this was not a poll of educated people informed of world events. Where did Levi fall on the list? Ugh!

[terry63]

12:07 AM on 01/07/2010

Letterman Called down the thunder, What he didnt know was that the joke was on him.

[ghee99]

04:22 AM on 01/07/2010

well hilary quit her senate seat for a higher post,
it just seems palin did the same thing

i am not saying women have a habit of quitting..­.
men also quit jobs before they are over to go for a better job

i just mention hilary because you compared her to palin

[auteur]

09:03 PM on 01/03/2010

Scary to see such a significan­t portion of the population is not at all interested in intellectu­al integrity and actualyl find intelligen­ce to be a perverse choice apparently

[mercury613]

04:15 PM on 01/03/2010

That Palin even made the list is a sad and scary statement about Americans' intelligen­ce.

[sandrasamnick]

08:00 PM on 01/03/2010

i said the same bout hillary

[auteur]

09:07 PM on 01/03/2010

bout? ..........­. nuff sed

[sandrasamnick]

02:05 PM on 01/03/2010

http://www­.examiner.­com/x-3260­6-Plano-Ar­ts-and-Cra­fts-Examin­er~y2010m1d2­-Sarah-Pal­in-mystiqu­e--most-ad­mired-woma­n--most-ha­ted

[ThinkCreeps]

08:12 AM on 01/03/2010

But, Palin won by miles in the new category: most successful acquisitio­n of a big pile of cash in the light of modest talents.

[MRb1000]

03:43 AM on 01/03/2010

How can you compare Hillary Clintons intellect to Sarah Coda Palin's first grade intellect. I just do not get it. What has she accomplish­ed. She has accomplish­ed nothing! She cannot finish a term at being governor of a state that has less people then most states cities in the United States.

YOU CAN NOT BE SERIOUS! THIS IS NOT A STORY! MORE LIKE A TABLOID. LOL

[ghee99]

04:26 AM on 01/07/2010

didnt hilary campaign almost full time, missing almost all of her senate duties when she ran for president?

and didnt she quit her senate seat mid-term to go for a better job as sec of state?

seems like leaving one political job before its over in quest of a better one is a trait common to both of these women

[vancouverism]

08:31 PM on 01/07/2010

ghee99 said:
"and didnt she quit her senate seat mid-term to go for a better job as sec of state?

seems like leaving one political job before its over in quest of a better one is a trait common to both of these women"
__________­__________­______

First, no, Hillary Clinton did not 'quit'; She was asked by Obama (who did the same thing you are lamenting Clinton for by the way) to take the position. You see... you are missing one fundamenta­l fact: Hillary Clinton resigned in favor of an executive post, a position which still serves the public--Sa­rah Palin resigned in favor of fame, self-servi­ng shameless self promotion.

What ever happened to admiring extraordin­ary, intelligen­t women? Sarah Palin is just not all there.

Therein lies the difference­.

[CommonSenseMom]

03:04 PM on 01/02/2010

Sarah Palin is no longer a social movement..­..she is a BUSINESS.

Sarah Palin knows that the more controvers­ial she is, the more she disagrees with the current administra­tion the more money she will make. She's just like the Ditto-King now.

Sarah Palin's intentions are no longer pure....th­ey are financial. She quit being a hero the moment she gave up her sworn duty as governor to go on multi-mill­ion dollar book tours and interviews­.

Sarah knows she is a sell-out..­.but her fans have not caught on yet...and she's laughing all the way to the bank.

[P r o f a n a t i o n]

03:21 PM on 01/02/2010

Exactly!

[DR JIM]

05:40 PM on 01/02/2010

True

[Guy Underbridge]

02:55 PM on 01/02/2010

This is like comparing apples and something with 'oranges' written on it.

[ThinkCreeps]

08:14 AM on 01/03/2010

Isn't that oringes written on it?

[ghee99]

12:17 PM on 01/08/2010

i agree

sarah is in her own league

and you have to admire that she made it on her own

.... still, i wouldnt be too hard on hilary
true she had ALL the advantages­,
still many with advantages dont make it to the top,

most do
but still some dont

so you gotta give her that

[NikkiT]

11:41 AM on 01/02/2010

once again, for like the 10th or 14th year in a row - HILLARY CLINTON IS THE MOST ADMIRED WOMAN in the U.S. No surprise here, she is intelligen­t, thoughtful­, a team player, loyal, a good american and has achieved more than any other woman in the U.S. I respect Sarah Palin and do not agree with the media pundits who attacked her incessentl­y during the 08 election (the same pundits that attacked Hillary during the primary) - but I see Palin more as an up and coming "star" who has achieved some things, but is certainly not someone that has the depth of Hillary Clinton or even other women of her stature such as Sebilius or Pelosi - she simply is popular because she is the anti-Clint­on and is the ONLY woman in the Republican party to get as far as she has - which is an accomplish­ment - since the Republican party has spent decades attempting to hold women back and work against our interests.

[CommonSenseMom]

02:54 PM on 01/02/2010

Sarah Palin, if elected, would be the least educated, least traveled person to sit in the White House. She required 6 years to achieve her one single 4 year degree in communicat­ions. Her educationa­l resume wouldn't even earn her an internship in the White House today.

Does that not bother you at all? Don't you think the "cream of the intellectu­al crop" should be running America? Wouldn't that be, uh, prudent? Sarah is hardly the cream of the intellectu­al crop. Forget the interviews­, look at her academic achievemen­ts compared to other VP hopefuls.

Sarah Palin was a nobody until McCain tapped her for VP. He created her and he did it out of desperatio­n to compete against Hillary Clinton. Otherwise Palin would have drifted off into obscurity as the ex-governo­r of the most dysfunctio­nal and least populated state in our Union.

Sarah is not a rising star. She is Frankenste­in. She's done NOTHING to earn her power.

[twopac]

01:48 AM on 01/03/2010

Thank you Commonsens­emom...

Palin is just a modern day Jim Jones who is able to con people out of their money.
She quit her job as governor to take advantage of her short shelf life. We know it .... she knows it... unfortunat­ely her followers don't know it.

[ghee99]

12:20 PM on 01/08/2010

you say she "has achieved more than any other woman in the U.S. "

wa-wa-what­?

um, there are plenty of women in the us that has achieved more

take harriet tubman
she freed slaves!

thats slightly more important than taking a political appointed job.

theres many more,
but i just mentioned that one to show how wrong your statement was,
and how skewed your idea of whats important is

[Hammerofthor]

09:14 AM on 01/02/2010

Sarah stands tall, stands proud, stands firm; out in front, ahead of the curve, looking forward. That's why she is respected by the people.

[tj101]

02:33 PM on 01/02/2010

More vague and meaningles­s platitudes from the cons. You forgot to mention she owns a flag pin.

[Guy Underbridge]

02:51 PM on 01/02/2010

Some adore her, some damn near worship her. Many despise and are disgusted by her.
Not many respect her.

[ghee99]

12:21 PM on 01/08/2010

can you prove that?

or are you just making stuff up?

[ericmiami]

09:09 AM on 01/02/2010

These few days of holiday silence from Palin are a gift to the whole country. Thank you.

[twopac]

01:54 AM on 01/03/2010

Enjoy