Three years after the September 11 attacks, for instance, a Pew poll found that al Qaeda's leader had a 65 percent favorability rating among Pakistanis.

CNN: Commentary: Where's Osama bin Laden?

Kerry's favorability rating remained flat, at 52 percent in both polls.

CNN: Poll: Kerry loses ground to Bush

And while Clinton's favorability rating has been hurt by growing concerns over his moral character, surveys show that the American people still approve of the job Clinton is doing as president and a most want the him to continue in it.

CNN: AllPolitics