Poll: Many in U.S. know little of leaders

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Most U.S. adults do not know enough about the top leaders in Washington to form an opinion, a Harris poll indicates.

For example, 53 percent of Americans do not know enough to have opinions about Defense Secretary Robert Gates; 60 percent don't know enough about Chief Justice John Roberts; 52 percent don't know much about Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman; 59 percent don't know enough about Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and 63 percent don't know much about the House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, who appears set to become the Speaker of the House of Representatives in January.

Boehner, the least known of all the leaders in the poll, has many more critics than friends -- 25 percent have a negative view, while 12 percent have a positive view.

Harris Poll officials say the finding that so many people are unfamiliar with the most powerful leaders in Washington is striking, and suggests that many can hold strong views about Washington without following what occurs there.

The Harris Poll of 3,084 U.S. adults was conducted Oct. 11-18 by Harris Interactive. No margin of error is provided.