Poll: Voters turned off by Sarah Palin

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's standing with U.S. voters has dropped sharply since the Republican Convention, a poll released Friday indicates.

Palin appears to be a drag on Republican nominee John McCain, The Washington Post said.

A majority of likely voters surveyed for the Washington Post-ABC News poll hold unfavorable views of Palin. While 51 percent view her unfavorably, only 46 percent had a favorable view, a 13 percent drop since early September.

The drop in Palin's approval among women has been especially sharp, down 21 percent among white women since early September and 24 percent among independent women.

When McCain introduced Palin to the national stage, many voters saw her as someone who understands the problems of ordinary people. In the recent poll, only 50 percent saw her as someone who understands them, down 10 percent in three weeks, while 47 percent said she does not.

The poll found that among those who do not like Palin, 40 percent held strongly negative views.

The poll was done Wednesday and Thursday nights. The polling sample and margin of error were not reported.