Former President Bill Clinton is the only prominent figure whose endorsement impacts the fortunes of a candidate among all voters, a new poll has found.
According to a poll by the Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Annenberg of 1,181 registered voters conducted Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 38 percent view a candidate more favorably when endorsed by Clinton compared to 24 percent who have a less favorable view.
By comparison, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama have the next highest positive impact on registered voters of just 1 percent.
The endorsement of five other politicians tested in the survey has a negative impact on most people, including President Barack Obama, 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, GOP Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
The picture is different, however, when testing by a candidate's party base. Among Democratic voters, for example, an endorsement by either of the Clintons has a strongly positive impact: 70 percent say an endorsement from Bill Clinton gives them a favorable impression of a candidate, while 65 percent have a more favorable view of a candidate if endorsed by Hillary Clinton.
An endorsement from the president gives 60 percent of Democrats a more favorable view of a candidate, while 56 percent have a more positive view of a candidate if endorsed by Michelle Obama.
Among Republicans, Romney has the most positive sway with 59 percent saying they have a more positive view of a candidate. Less than a third of the GOP gets a more favorable image of a candidate who is endorsed by Christie, Paul, or Cruz.
Bill Clinton and Paul are the only two political figures who boost candidates among independent voters, the poll found.
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