Dolly Parton most popular global figure in US favorability poll
What's the story
Dolly Parton has emerged as the most favored global figure among Americans, according to a recent poll by the University of Massachusetts and YouGov. The 11-time Grammy winner topped the list with a net favorability of 65%, leaving behind Barack Obama and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The survey was conducted with 1,000 respondents who were asked about their opinions on over 20 international figures.
Poll results
Obama v/s Parton
The poll revealed that 70% of respondents had a favorable opinion of Parton, while only 5% viewed her unfavorably. This gave her a net favorability score of 65%.
In comparison, Obama, who served as the US President from 2009 to 2017, had a net favorability score of just 14%.
He received a favorable rating from 50% and an unfavorable rating from 36% of those surveyed.
Additional findings
Other notable figures in poll
Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, rounded out the top three with a net favorability score of 12%.
This was based on 35% of respondents having a favorable opinion and 22% an unfavorable one.
Other notable figures in the poll included George W Bush with a net favorability of 5%, Taylor Swift with 3%, and Vladimir Putin at the bottom with -65%.
Factors
Parton's apolitical stance and philanthropy
Parton's high favorability can be attributed to her long-standing music career and her apolitical public relations strategy.
In a 2017 interview, she stated, "Everybody I don't do politics..."
"I've got as many Republican fans as Democrats, and I don't want to make any of them mad at me, so I don't play politics."
Her philanthropic work through the Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library has also earned her admiration.