Most Popular National Politician Today Is ...

The most popular politician nationwide is the one that got away: Hillary Clinton. Nearly two-thirds of the country sees the secretary of state favorably, and a third are battling what Bloomberg terms “buyer’s remorse” over not electing her president. Just over a year ago, only a quarter of Americans felt that way. “Looking back, I wonder if she would have been a stronger leader, knowing the games and the politics and all that goes on,” says a Florida woman. “I don’t think she would have bent as much.”

Still, some 47% of Americans say the situation under Clinton would be comparable to the present state of affairs. “Some of her appeal is that she is not Barack Obama,” notes a pollster. What’s more, 13% feel we’d be worse off with Hill. Among Democrats, 57% say things would be the same under Obama or Clinton, while 39% of Republicans believe we’d be better off with Clinton. As for John McCain? Some 29% say we should have picked him; 35% say it’s a good thing we didn’t. (More Hillary Clinton stories.)