Fifty-five percent of people questioned in the poll say they have an unfavorable opinion of the former vice president. Thirty-seven percent say they have a favorable opinion of Cheney, up 8 percentage points from January when he left office.But:
I'm guessing that almost all that uptick will be found among Republicans, who are so starved for leaders they're turning to the likes of Cheney, Rush and Gingrich. Between them are two of the most disgraced, failed public figures of our time and a radio shock jock whose approval ratings are just north of polio. I'll say this for Cheney--he's a savvy politician, and has sensed that the GOP has reached the apex of wingnuttery and that they're willing to buy what he's selling. But I bet that Barack Obama couldn't be more pleased that his three main detractors are some of the most widely loathed men in public life today."Is Cheney's uptick due to his visibility as one of the most outspoken critics of the Obama administration? Almost certainly not," says Keating Holland, CNN polling director.
"Former President George W. Bush's favorable rating rose 6 points in that same time period, and Bush has not given a single public speech since he left office."
