Poll: Many Americans Don't Know Biden

(CBS)  Delaware Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden may have been in Congress since 1972, but three quarters of registered voters say they don't have either a favorable or unfavorable opinion of him, a new CBS News poll finds.

Fifty-six percent of registered voters say they haven't heard enough about Biden to form an opinion. Nine percent say they have a favorable view of the candidate, while 15 percent say they have an unfavorable view. Nineteen percent are undecided.

Biden's long tenure in Congress isn't hurting him: few Democratic primary voters say they're actively looking for a nominee from outside the beltway. Twenty-eight percent of Democratic primary voters prefer a nominee with experience from inside Washington, compared to 18 percent that prefer a nominee with experience outside the nation's capital. Forty-nine percent say it doesn't matter.

Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has discussed the idea of de-centralizing the Iraqi government and separating Iraq into three distinct regions. Asked about that idea in general, most Democratic primary voters (as well as nearly half of all voters) favor it. Fifty-two percent of Democratic primary voters favor separating Iraq into three parts, while 37 percent favor keeping Iraq under one government.

To see the full poll results, click here.

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 706 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone September 14-16, 2007. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus four percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

[tfheringer]

Dividing Iraq into regions is the dumbest idea that they could have ever come up with for two reasons. One Iraq is a sovereign nation or was until we started messing with their country. Second, it will not change anything that really mater''s. Oh! By the way folks remember the Romans? Look what happened to the number one nation that messed with the eternal affairs of another?

[rjstolba]

Without a doubt, hands down, Joe BIden is the best of the lot--Dem or Repub. He is the smartest, most experienced, etc. Unfortunately, he is not well known outside of Washington. If the American people wanted a true leader, they should pick him.

[standlee5]

Americans don''t know Biden. Well, why would they know him or any of the other 2nd and 3rd tier candidates on either side. The media has given them no attention at all. In fact they might as well not even show up at the "debates" because they don''t get any airtime anyway. How about the lower tier candidates have their own debate. Democrat, Republican, Independent just a big free for all. It''d be guaranteed more productive than the top four.

[alphaa10-2009]

Joe Biden has defended his patrons in the credit card industry as vigorously as Christopher Dodd has his insurance industry clientele. Both men seem otherwise above reproach-- if we can countenance their sellout to the highest bidders in campaign finance.

However, what money Biden and Dodd have accepted and the company they keep seems tame compared to some of their infamous GOP counterparts. Both men have been assets to the Senate, wielding power without a great deal of partisan rancor.

Occasionally, Biden and Dodd have introduced interesting ideas facilitating new approaches. Biden, for example, recognizes the partition of Iraq into three parts is probably the most workable solution to sectarian violence, so far. A successfully-partitioned and peaceful Iraq may be the greatest contribution of his long career.