OPINION:
For the first time in 17 years, Hillary Clinton is not the “Most Admired Woman in America,” according to Gallup polling — Michelle Obama is.
Perhaps the bigger story here is that Hillary Clinton managed to hang on to “most admired” status for 17 years. Who are these people?
Anyhow, Obama was runner-up to Clinton for three times in a row. Now, helped by a national book tour and, no doubt, an ever-fawning media, she’s finally toppled her — and “by a significant margin” to boot, Gallup wrote.
Here how the list plays out: With 15 percent of respondents’ picks, Obama takes the top notch. Oprah Winfrey follows, with 5 percent of picks; Clinton then Melania Trump, both with 4 percent; and then Queen Elizabeth, Angela Merkel, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ellen DeGeneres all come in with 2 percent. Rounding out the last three are Nikki Haley, Malala Yousafzai and Nancy Pelosi, all with 1 percent.
Nancy Pelosi? Come on now.
This is the woman CNN found in its own November survey that less than half of her own Democratic Party colleagues wanted for the House leadership role.
This is the woman about whom The Hill wrote “only 27 percent of people surveyed in a new poll think Democrats should keep [her] as their leader in the House.”
And tied with Nikki Haley, too?
The list of most admired men, meanwhile, goes this way: Barack Obama, with 19 percent of respondents’ favor; President Donald Trump, with 13 percent; George W. Bush and Pope Francis, both at 2 percent; and then the remaining — Bill Gates, Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Dalai Lama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk and Mike Pence — all coming in with 1 percent.
The question asked of participants was pretty blunt. It simply required respondents to “name the man and woman living anywhere in the world today whom they admire most.”
And get this: Obama’s about to hit a record-breaking moment.
“[He’s] just one first-place finish short of tying Dwight Eisenhower for the most times being Most Admired Man,” Gallup reported.
The list is perhaps more notable for who’s missing than who’s listed.
Sen. John McCain, who died this year, was a frequent “most admired” name; so, too, the Rev. Billy Graham.
“Graham had more top 10 finishes than any man or woman, a record 61 times,” Gallup said. “Graham was in the top 10 every year from 1955 through 2017, with the exception of 1962. … Ronald Reagan has the second most top 10 finishes behind Graham, with 31.”
And now the list includes a socialist. How very, very sad.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.