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Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, accomplished the rare feat of witnessing no increase in favorability after losing a presidential election, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.The poll found that 41% of Americans view Clinton favorably, which is the same percentage that had a positive view of Clinton in December, one month after she lost the election to President Donald Trump. In November, her favorability rating stood at 43%.
The percentage of Americans who view Clinton unfavorably remained at 57%, which is the same as it was in December. That was also a 2-point difference from November, when her unfavorability rating stood at 55%.
Most losing presidential candidates see a significant spike in their favorability in the months that follow the election.
Republican presidential nominees Mitt Romney and Bob Dole, their parties respective representatives in 2012 and 1996, saw a 4-point bump in their Gallup favorability rating post-election. John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, and President George H.W. Bush, who lost to President Bill Clinton in 1992, saw improvements of 14 points and 16 points respectively. Al Gore, the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee, saw a 10-point bump in his favorability after he lost to George W. Bush.
Although Gallup said comparable data was not available for 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, his favorability was at 52% in late October 2004. By July of 2005, it was down to 42%.
Clinton's poor favorability is still marginally better than Trump's most recent approval rating in the Gallup daily presidential tracking poll. On Wednesday, Gallup found that 37% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing, compared to 58% whom do not. That equals a net approval rating of -21, which is unprecedented for past presidents this early into an administration and among the worst net ratings of the young Trump presidency.