Poll: For economy fix, Americans pick Reagan over Roosevelt

By Will Rahn
Updated: 12:32 PM 10/31/2011

Ronald Reagan beat out Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the former president Americans would like to see in the White House during these trying economic times, a new 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll finds.

Thirty-six percent of those polled said they wanted the Gipper to lead America out of the economic crisis, while 29 percent picked Roosevelt. Thomas Jefferson came in third place with the support of 14 percent of those polled, followed by Roosevelt’s successor Harry Truman at 8 percent. William Henry Harrison, who was inaugurated in March 1841 and died one month later, came in last with 1 percent support.

Reagan was the pick of 68 percent of Republicans, 16 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of independents surveyed. Sixteen percent of Republicans, 43 percent of Democrats and 26 percent of independents chose Roosevelt.

The poll also found that 68 percent of Americans think Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would make the best Democratic vice presidential candidate if Joe Biden doesn’t remain on the ticket next year. When asked what words they thought of when the heard the name Marco Rubio, 25 percent said “U.S. Senator” while 14 percent said “Major League Baseball player” and 7 percent said “Cuban musician.”

The poll was conducted September 28 and October 2 among 1,012 American adults.