Then-Rep. George Santos of New York, a Republican, gestures to a colleague on the House floor earlier this month.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Rep. George Santos’ endless stream of scandals have left a mark with Americans.
According to a new poll, Santos is now more well known than most of the top House Republican leaders.
Even back in New York, the Republican is more recognizable than some of his more powerful counterparts.
Scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos’ endless stream of unflattering stories has catapulted the New York Republican out of obscurity and alongside some of the most powerful names in the nation’s capital.
No, this isn’t another line in the fabulist’s resume. The media focus on the 34-year-old has left an impression in Americans’ minds, even as he has begun to really annoy some of his colleagues.
According to an Economist/YouGov poll, more people know who the freshman lawmaker is than all but one member of House Republican leadership — you know, the people with actual power. Santos’ budding infamy is so dominant that he has easily surpassed Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams in national notoriety.
Americans’ awareness of its leaders is often represented by how many poll respondents that register an opinion on the subject in question.
According to the poll of American adults, more people have views on Santos than House Majority Leader Steve Scalise or House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, the No. 2 and No. 3 House Republicans respectively. The most powerful Congressional leaders, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, were still more well known, though not by much.
Being well-known doesn’t mean Santos is well-liked. According to the poll, Santos is viewed more unfavorably than any congressional leader. Nationally, he has a whopping negative 38 percentage net point favorability rating.
Santos’ every move in the Capitol is chronicled by reporters so eager to hear his reaction to the latest claim that there are cameras stationed outside his office. He hasn’t been in office for a month, and already four different comedians have impersonated him, incusing one on Saturday Night Live.
This star power sugar high also underlines a growing tension.
Some of the most powerful American leaders have spent more time in power than Santos has even been alive. Their longevity is a testament to an age where power was slowly accrued by those who simply outlasted those who came …read more
Source:: Business Insider