About one third of the interviewed Americans support impeachment of the president while a majority said no, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Friday, July 25.
Thirty three percent of Americans said yes to impeaching President Obama, but a large group of 65 percent supported keeping the president in office.
CNN reported that there is a clear partisan divide within the support-impeachment votes, with 57 percent of Republicans, 35 percent of Independents and 13 percent of Democrats.
Keating Holland, CNN polling director, said the oppose-impeachment number appeared to be similar with past presidents. Bill Clinton received 67 percent of support in 1998 while George W. Bush got 69 percent Americans saying no impeachment.
“One reason may be that Americans take impeachment very seriously. Only about one in five say that impeachment is a valid response if Congress is dissatisfied with a president’s policies or the way he is handling his job. Nearly eight in 10 say impeachment should be reserved for high crimes and misdemeanors,” Holland adds.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin called for president impeachment in early July, but she seemed to only have a few supporters according to the poll.
Read also: Sarah Palin Calls for President Impeachment
The poll also asked if Americans feel Obama has gone too far with his authority, and almost half, 45 percent, answered he has.
CNN partnered with ORC International to conduct the poll, which questioned 1,012 adult Americans by phone from July 18 to 20. The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.
Picture Via flickr/Joe Crimmings
