Is Sarah Palin's star beginning to fade? If you believe the most recent polls -- and the attitude of California's Republican candidates for office -- it may well be.
California GOP nominee for Senate Carly Fiorina certainly isn't acting like she's proud to have an endorsement from the Alaska governor-turned-Fox News pundit.
Fiorina and Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman skipped an event Saturday where Palin campaigned on their behalf.
Politico noted last week:
The event slated for Oct. 16 in Anaheim is being widely promoted by the Republican National Committee and conservatives in the state, but neither gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman nor Senate nominee Carly Fiorina, whom Palin has endorsed, plans to attend.
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GA_googleFillSlot("Raw_Embedded_300"); A Fiorina source told POLITICO that her campaign already had two longstanding events set for the day and would not be able to attend the Saturday rally.
Whitman spokesman Tucker Bounds, meanwhile, said, “It’s a national RNC fundraiser, which we’re not planning to attend.”
On Sunday, Fox News' host Chris Wallace pressed Fiorina on her decision not to attend.
"You said you had a previously scheduled event," said Wallace. "Isn't the real fact you don't want to be seen with Sarah Palin because she is not very popular with independents and she at this point in a general election would hurt you, not help you?"
"I'm very proud of my endorsement from Sarah Palin," explained Fiorina. "I said that over and over again but I had a previously scheduled commitment for months with a group of veterans and John McCain."
She added: "Campaign schedules are complex things, as you can imagine. We got word of [Palin's] trip very late in the game. And so I'm delighted she came to California. I know she helped raise a lot of money and we had commitments to keep as well."
The Christian Science Monitor reported that a new poll showed that Palin was a detriment to California candidates.
In the Field poll, 91 percent of respondents had an opinion of Palin, with 33 percent viewing her favorably and 58 percent unfavorably. Not surprisingly, Democrats have a highly negative view of her, by a margin of 8 to 1, and Republicans view her more positively – 74 percent favorable to 19 percent unfavorable. But independent voters also have an unfavorable view of Palin, 69 percent to 25 percent.
This video is from Fox's Fox News Sunday, broadcast Oct. 17, 2010.
