What is up with Dean's unfavorables?

[poskonig]

I mean, they're so damn low!

The latest New Hampshire poll this favorability breakdown among likely Democratic primary voters:

(favorable, unfavorable, don't know)

Dean 69, 14, 12
Kerry 60, 26, 5
Lieberman 49, 34, 8
Gephardt 47, 29, 12
Clark 45, 21, 24
Edwards 41, 21, 24

A lot of people have said that Dean's plain style turns off voters, since it makes him look "angry" or may miff some people. This is the conventional wisdom being pandered on the cable news shows. I'm not certain this thesis is justified.

Some may say the favorability has to do with name recognition, i.e., if Dean were known more, he'd have higher unfavorables. But Gephardt has similar unknowns in this poll with higher unfavorables. Others may point out the regional effect, but Kerry is from the same region with higher negatives. In addition, the "war vote" theory doesn't work here either, with Clark's high negatives.

So I'm back to square one. How does Dean keep his unfavorables so low? I believe the data hints that Dean's overall likability is what is at play here.

Thoughts?

[dorktv]

1. It is Dean's magically brainwashing ability according to a

Kerry campaign person out here in my neck of the woods.

[polpilot]

2. Could be there's nothing really 'unfavorable' about him. Appears 100%

favorable to me...although he does seem be a little timid.

Dean '04...The New Democratic Leader of The NEW Democratic Party

[killbotfactory]

3. He's in league with the hypnotoad

All Glory to the Hypnotoad!



And Dean!

[whirlygigspin]

4. tis the electric mambo Voodoo cool aid effect

stop the madness!
Run for your lives!
Dean is popular!
the horror, the horror!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. This is "likely Democratic primary voters"

Democrats are angry. That's the truth here. DU'ers are angry. Haven't you noticed? DU likes Dean. Pretty simple.
I think hitching up to Dean is a mistake though. A big one.

[BushGone04]

6. Bingo

Among Democrats, Dean is quite popular, simply because they see in him the same kind of anger they feel towards President Bush. To win a general election, we will need the support of many voters who do NOT feel this visceral anger, but would like to see a change in leadership. That, I think, is the basis of the concern about Dean's attitude turning off some voters.

Also, that poll was from New Hampshire. New Hampshire voters have historically liked "outsider," "straight-shooting" candidates.

In short, although I don't have an actual poll to back it up, I think if you took that poll nationwide among all voters, you'd get a different result.