Funny that Paul Ryan's lies, Romney's robotic speech, and Eastwooding didn't appeal to more Americans. From Slate:
- Bob Dole in 1996: 52 percent positive (excellent/good); 7 percent negative (poor/terrible).
- George W. Bush in 2000: 51 percent positive; 4 percent negative.
- George W. Bush in 2004: 49 percent positive; 8 percent negative.
- John McCain in 2008: 47 percent positive; 12 percent negative.
- Mitt Romney in 2012: 38 percent positive; 16 percent negative.
And, fwiw, the Democrats' positive marks have climbed (although we're dealing with an even smaller sample):
- Al Gore in 2000: 51 percent positive; 6 percent negative.
- John Kerry in 2004: 52 percent positive; 9 percent negative.
- Barack Obama in 2008: 58 percent positive; 7 percent negative.
Gallup also shows Romney with the smallest post-convention bounce in recent political history. Forty percent of those polled said they'd be more likely to vote GOP after last week's GOP convention, compared to 38 percent who said they'd be less likely. That 2-percent gain was one of only three among a list going back to 1984 with net gains in the single digits. The other two single-digit bounces: the 2008 (plus-5) and 2004 (plus-3) RNCs. Of course, George W. Bush still went on to win reelection in 2004, so a lackluster convention doesn't necessarily translate to a November loss.
