What do the cast of Duck Dynasty, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Christie have in common? According to a press release on the latest Harris Poll of 2,039 U.S. adults surveyed online between December 6 and 10, 2013, they’ve had among the best 2013, while Barack Obama and Paula Deen are seen as having had among the worst.
2013 was a series of highs and lows for many celebrities, but when asked which star, from a provided list, had the best 2013, nearly half of Americans (45 percent) selected the cast of Duck Dynasty, with a hit television show and Christmas album, as having reason to celebrate this season. Other stars perceived as most enjoying a good year include: Jennifer Lawrence (36 percent), Sandra Bullock (30 percent) and Justin Timberlake (23 percent).
It’s definitely not a stretch to say that Paula Deen’s popularity has been put on the back burner in 2013. Her scandal earlier this year may still be haunting her, as the highest percentage of Americans selected her as the celebrity having the worst year (46 percent). Think there’s no such thing as bad publicity? Think again! Despite Miley Cyrus’ constant presence in the news this year, our favorite twerking celebrity was America’s close-second contender for worst year (44 percent). Amanda Bynes, who has been in and out of rehab and was recently released to the custody of her parents, came in a distant third (28 percent).
One politician who should be glad to see the year come to a close is the president. Among the politicians tested, Barack Obama comes in third among those politicians tested as having the best year, but comes in first place – by a high margin – as having had the worst year.
According to the poll…
Best: Chris Christie is on top in first place (32 percent) as having the best perceived year, followed by Hillary Clinton in second place (26 percent) and Barack Obama in third (19 percent). Rounding out the list is Senator Ted Cruz (12 percent), new Senator Cory Booker (7 percent) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (3 percent).
Rankings fell in the same order, though slightly higher for Christie (34 percent) and Clinton (28 percent), among Independents, with Obama again in third place at 16 percent.
Clinton also holds the top position among Democrats (31 percent), followed by Obama in second (29 percent) and Christie in third (24 percent).
Among Republicans, Chris Christie was the top pick for having had the best year (42 percent), followed by Ted Cruz (24 percent) and Hilary Clinton (18 percent).
Women are most likely to believe Hillary Clinton had the best 2013 (30 percent), by a narrow margin over Christie (29 percent).
Worst: On this side, the verdict is a bit clearer as almost half of Americans (46 percent) say Barack Obama had the worst year in politics. Anthony Weiner takes home 26 percent of the overall vote, while John Boehner comes in third place at 13 percent. On the bottom half of this list are Ted Cruz (9 percent), Harry Reid (4 percent) and Mitch McConnell (3 percent).
Republicans and Independents rank the politicians in that same descending order.
Over seven in 10 Republicans (72 percent) place Obama at the top of the list, with a wide margin over Weiner (16 percent) and Boehner (6 percent). Among Independents, Obama received 46 percent of the vote, followed by 27 percent for Weiner and 12 percent for Boehner. Among Democrats, Weiner is the No. 1 pick for worst year (35 percent), followed by a tight race between Obama (23 percent) and Boehner (20 percent).
Dirty Harry for pres?
While politicians often achieve celebrity status, the Harris Poll sought to find out which celebrities were perceived as potentially making the best president. Clint Eastwood, a diehard Republican who supported the party by talking to a chair at the 2012 GOP convention, was the top selection (29 percent) followed by Tom Hanks (25 percent) and George Clooney (16 percent). Looking at this by party, half of Republicans (50 percent) say Clint Eastwood would be the best president while one-third of Democrats (34 percent) say it would be Tom Hanks. Among Independents, just over one-quarter say Clint Eastwood (27 percent) while just under say Tom Hanks (23 percent).
There have been instances where celebrities have won awards for portraying presidents – Daniel Day Lewis won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln and Greg Kinnear snagged an Emmy nomination for playing JFK – but what about presidents who should win an Academy Award for their time in office?
When asked which president they would choose to win an Oscar for their time in office, Ronald Reagan was the winner with 27 percent of the vote, followed closely by Bill Clinton (25 percent) and more distantly by Obama (11 percent). Nearly half of Republicans (45 percent) say Ronald Reagan should win the Oscar, while 37 percent of Democrats say Bill Clinton should. Independents are again divided, with 28 percent saying Reagan and 24 percent saying Clinton.