Most Famous Senator to the General Public?

[Free Bird]

Unless you ask somebody in their state, no average Joe is going to know who Michael Bennet or Dean Heller is. To the general public, who do you think is the most well-known US Senator? It used to probably be Ted Kennedy, but he's not around anymore, of course. Now, I'd say it's probably Bernie Sanders.

[RINO Tom]

Besides Bernie Sanders?  Maybe Mitch McConnell.  I'm thinking of some of my less political friends, and I doubt they could name anyone besides Iowa's two, and even that's a stretch.  (Who's that new one besides Grassley?  The lady who was playing with pigs on her commercial?)

[Free Bird]

Besides Bernie Sanders?  Maybe Mitch McConnell.  I'm thinking of some of my less political friends, and I doubt they could name anyone besides Iowa's two, and even that's a stretch.  (Who's that new one besides Grassley?  The lady who was playing with pigs on her commercial?)

Back in the Harkin era they could name both like "that?" Wouldn't be shocked. They WERE basically interconnected.

[7,052,770]

It would have to be Sanders, Cruz, and Rubio.

Outside the presidential candidates, maybe Franken? He had a somewhat well known career before entering politics.

[LLR]

Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders, Mitch McConnell. Maybe Chuck Schumer, but that's a stretch

[Dr. Arch]

Al Franken?

[Mr. Morden]

Besides Bernie Sanders?  Maybe Mitch McConnell.

I'd say Cruz and McCain are far more well known than McConnell.  This is by no means a perfect measure, but looking at Gallup's favorability tracker:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1618/favorability-people-news.aspx

in their August 2016 polling, only 8% of respondents had "never heard of" or had "no opinion of" Sanders, compared to 13% for Cruz.  McCain hasn't been polled since August 2015, but his number at that time was 11%.  McConnell was last polled in Oct. 2015, and his number was 40% having no opinion or never having heard of him.

My guess is that McCain would have been the most famous Senator as of ~18 months ago, but the 2016 election cycle introduced Sanders, Cruz, Rubio, Kaine, etc., with Sanders presumably now the most famous.

[Figueira]

Sanders, McCain, Cruz, Kaine, Rubio in that order. Warren, McConnell, Franken, Paul, and Graham are also somewhat well-known. I can't really think of any others, although Feinstein and Harris are probably well-known by virtue of their state being so populous.

[Del Tachi]

Probably McCain, as he would have had near 100% name recognition in 2008.  I would say Kaine would be pretty well-known, but with such polarizing figures heading the tickets this year the VP candidates seemed to receive even less attention that usual.

So I say McCain by virtue of his 2008 campaign, even if most of you Forumites were too young to remember

[Vega]

Bernie Sanders, John McCain, Elizabeth Warren. In that order.

[Santander]

Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders. There are folks out there who don't know that John McCain is still in the Senate.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Bernie and John McCain.  Most people know them, but if you asked them if they're in the senate, the house or whether they're governors, most people wouldn't know.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Bernie and John McCain.  Most people know them, but if you asked them if they're in the senate, the house or whether they're governors, most people wouldn't know.

For that matter, if you asked people to randomly name a Senator, I suspect a fair number would mention Hillary Clinton despite it not even being her most recent former office.

[Lincoln Republican]

Besides the obvious ones, Sanders, McCain, Cruz, Kaine, Rubio

I would add the following, not as well known as the ones above, but who have gained notoriety

Lindsey Graham.  very vocal in the last election and added to his already well known status.

Jeff Sessions, the first U.S. Senator to endorse Donald Trump, and his nomination as Attorney General.

Ben Sasse, well known criticism of Trump in the recent election.

Cory Booker, gained further status moving from Governor to Senator.

 

[Free Bird]

Besides the obvious ones, Sanders, McCain, Cruz, Kaine, Rubio

I would add the following, not as well known as the ones above, but who have gained notoriety

Lindsey Graham.  very vocal in the last election and added to his already well known status.

Jeff Sessions, the first U.S. Senator to endorse Donald Trump, and his nomination as Attorney General.

Ben Sasse, well known criticism of Trump in the recent election.

Cory Booker, gained further status moving from Governor to Senator.

 

You mean mayor.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

James Risch

[justfollowingtheelections]

Bernie and John McCain.  Most people know them, but if you asked them if they're in the senate, the house or whether they're governors, most people wouldn't know.

For that matter, if you asked people to randomly name a Senator, I suspect a fair number would mention Hillary Clinton despite it not even being her most recent former office.

Absolutely true.

[Kingpoleon]

Rubio, McCain, Cruz, Warren, and Sanders.

[hopper]

McCain, or Bernie Sanders probably. Both have run for President.

[Figueira]

I wonder how many people are aware that Franken is even a politician?

[justfollowingtheelections]

Amy Klobuchar recently described something that happened to her during a flight.  She and Al Franken were flying to Minnesota from D.C. and the pilot announced he was happy to have Senator Al Franken and his wife on the plane.  Klobuchar explained that she's also a Senator and the pilot then said "isn't that great, husband and wife are both U.S. Senators"

[Figueira]

Amy Klobuchar recently described something that happened to her during a flight.  She and Al Franken were flying to Minnesota from D.C. and the pilot announced he was happy to have Senator Al Franken and his wife on the plane.  Klobuchar explained that she's also a Senator and the pilot then said "isn't that great, husband and wife are both U.S. Senators"

Where did you hear this?

[MLM]

Before this election probably McCain but now I would say Sanders.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Amy Klobuchar recently described something that happened to her during a flight.  She and Al Franken were flying to Minnesota from D.C. and the pilot announced he was happy to have Senator Al Franken and his wife on the plane.  Klobuchar explained that she's also a Senator and the pilot then said "isn't that great, husband and wife are both U.S. Senators"

Where did you hear this?

She said it when she spoke to the new members of congress.

[Mr. Morden]

Amy Klobuchar recently described something that happened to her during a flight.  She and Al Franken were flying to Minnesota from D.C. and the pilot announced he was happy to have Senator Al Franken and his wife on the plane.  Klobuchar explained that she's also a Senator and the pilot then said "isn't that great, husband and wife are both U.S. Senators"

Where did you hear this?

She said it when she spoke to the new members of congress.

She's told that story many times before.  E.g., she told it to all the state delegations she spoke to at last year's DNC:

http://www.startribune.com/at-the-convention-klobuchar-and-franken-are-both-in-demand/388491891/

(You know, when she was kicking off her 2020 presidential campaign.  )