First Couple Tops Most Admired Lists
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Once again, we're working on any technical problems we might have with our satellite link up to Afghanistan. More from Bill Hemmer in just a moment. First though, let's go ahead and take a look at some numbers. And just think about it. It was just over a year ago that George Bush didn't win the nation's popular vote in that much contested presidential election, but here we are after September 11th, and his popularity is soaring. Frank Newport with Gallup Poll joins us this morning to talk more about the Most Admired Man Survey. And, Frank, interesting how you set this poll up. It wasn't -- people were not given a choice. They just had to come up with the answer off top of their head. Isn't that right?</s>FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: That's right. It's an open-ended question, we call it, Daryn. Where we ask people "who is the living man, the man living anywhere in the world, you admire most? And the same question "who's the woman living anywhere?" So it's really top of mind kinds of things. That's why, a lot of years, no one person really dominates. But boy! This year, Daryn, George W. Bush dominates like no man has dominated on this list since we started asking this, right after World War II. Let's show you the Top Five List. Most admired people from the American public, Billy Graham, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair down there in 5th place. We can kind of come up the list for you. Here, the Pope comes in, 3 percent spontaneously mentioned, it's a low number but that still puts him in fourth place. And then Rudy Giuliani, "Time's Man Of The Year," comes in third place on this list. Second place, Colin Powell, Secretary of State. And 39 percent of Americans -- that's the highest in history that have mentioned any one person spontaneously say, the man they most admire is George W. Bush. Let's look at the female side of the ledger, Daryn. Down here, it's some interesting people. Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser, Margaret Thatcher, Former British Prime Minister, 2 percent each. Come up to the fourth place, Former First Lady Barbara Bush. Then, very interestingly, talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey. She's been on our list fairly consistently, Daryn, for the last 10 years. She comes in third. Second place, Former First Lady, Senator Hillary Clinton. And Laura Bush, The First Lady, most admired woman, based on our poll this year. 12 Percent spontaneously mentioned her. A low number, but it's enough to put her in first place. A quick review for you, Daryn. It's always interesting. Who's been on that list more than anybody else, since 1948? We'll run through list. On the female side, Former Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith, 19 times, Mamie Eisenhower, Margaret Thatcher, Jackie Kennedy. But who's been on the list more than any other woman, Daryn? Queen Elizabeth.</s>KAGAN: Really?</s>NEWPORT: She was on when a princess, back in the -- before inaugurated or coronated, I should say, in the 1950s. 38 Years, Queen Elizabeth has been on that top 10 list, Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Frank, we talked about these numbers yesterday on "TALKBACK LIVE," and some of the audience members came up with the firefighters and police officers who responded in New York City. Also the people on board United Airlines Flight 93 that brought down that plane so that it didn't crash into another landmark and take more lives.</s>NEWPORT: Those are certainly people to be extraordinarily admired. We usually ask for a man or a woman by name, and I think that's why these more generic categories of people we admire don't appear on our list. I absolutely agree with your people yesterday, on "TALKBACK LIVE." Those people deserve our admiration.</s>KAGAN: Yes. Plenty of admiration to go -- to go around, especially at the end of this incredibly historic year. Frank Newport from Gallup. Good you see, and a Happy New Year to you.</s>NEWPORT: Thank you.</s>KAGAN: Very good.