Republicans Have a Big Bubba Problem: Clinton is The Most Admired POTUS of Last 25 Years

With the Clinton political brand poised for a resurgence in 2016, the last thing Republicans needed was a new polling showing that Bill Clinton is the most admired president of the last 25 years, but that is exactly what they’ve got.

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Annenberg Survey found that Bill Clinton is the runaway most admired president of the last 25 years. Forty-two percent of respondents picked Clinton. President Obama came in at 18%, George W. Bush got 17%, and George H.W. Bush was close behind at 16%.

Normally, these sorts of polls make for nice historical arguments as to who was the better president, but with Hillary Clinton likely running in 2016, her husband’s runaway win in the POTUS admiration contest takes on an entirely different dimension. Republicans had already been trying to deal with former President Clinton’s popularity by reviving the Lewinsky scandal, which shows that Republicans have learned nothing. Every time, they bring up Lewinsky, Clinton gets more popular.

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Bill Clinton’s massive popularity only makes things more difficult for Republicans. Former Clinton is just admired. He is extremely credible. When he gets in front crowds, and starts talking about what the country needs to do to get the economy going, people listen. Clinton is popular across age groups. He is one of the few political figures that can bridge the divide between red and blue states.

The biggest problem for Republicans is that are going to have to contend with both of the Clintons on the campaign trail. Former president and former Sec. of State Clinton both the ability to both draw a big crowds and the media all across the country. The Republican nominee will be outnumbered two to one every day on the campaign trail. The fact makes one appreciate the political talents of Barack Obama, who faced these same odds, and overcame them during the 2008 Democratic primary.

Republicans are flipping out already over Hillary Clinton running, but one of their biggest problems in 2016 may be the presence of her husband. Republicans have a big bubba problem. If the Clintons hit the campaign trail firing on all cylinders, 2016 could be another blowout win for Democrats.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association