Shock Poll - Not Having to Govern Makes Former Governor Popular

Terry Branstad hasn't been in office for 11 years, and it appears that absence has done wonders for his popularity.

The Iowa First Foundation trickled out more numbers from its poll of 500 Iowans. It turns out 68 percent of those polled view Branstad favorably. That's 12 points higher than President Obama's 56-percent favorability rating and Gov. Chet Culver's 52 percent score.

And Branstad, who served four terms as governor between 1983-1999, is way more popular than three-time GOP gubernatorial wannabe Bob Vander Plaats, who scored a favorability rating of 28 percent.

All this is giving us a fever...a fever for more Branstad.

Clearly, to this observer, Branstad has benefited from being far less governmenty over the last decade than people who are actually governing. It's been more than a decade since he had to make what  pros in the politics game call a "decision." In many cases, voters don't like those one bit.

And by now, almost no one remembers the decisions he did make, unless, maybe, you frequent casinos or are serving time in Clarinda.

Not governing has worked for others. Bob Ray's approval ratings likely are in the stratosphere. Bill Clinton is more popular now than ever. Recent polls show Abraham Lincoln's approval ratings hovering around 121 percent.

Fred Thompson (middle above) got very popular after leaving the U.S. Senate.  Then he ran for president. Big mistake.

And does favorability translate into votes?

This same poll showed that only 31 percent of those surveyed think Culver deserves re-election. That's a nearly 21-point gap between Big Lug favorability and his re-electability.

Obviously, Culver's biggest problem is that he's involved in governing. If Chet resigned today, I bet in a few years he'd be well over 60 percent.

Look how well it's worked for Sarah Palin. OK, never mind.