Could a climate realist head a major party ticket in 2012?

President Palin for 2012?: World: News: News24

Cape Town - Sixty-nine percent of Republican voters say Alaska Governor Sarah Palin helped John McCain's bid for the presidency, even as news reports surface that some McCain staffers think she was a liability.

This is according to a report published by Rasmussen Reports, an electronic media company which specialises in opinion polling information.

Only 20% of GOP voters said Palin hurt the party's ticket, according the Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Six percent said she had no impact, and five percent were undecided.

Ninety-one percent of Republicans had a favourable view of Palin, including 65% who said their view is Very Favourable. Only eight percent had an unfavourable view of her.

When asked to choose among some of the GOP's top names for their choice for the party's 2012 presidential nominee, 64% said Palin. The next closest contenders were two former governors and unsuccessful challengers for the presidential nomination this year - Mike Huckabee of Arkansas with 12% support and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 11%.