A shift among independents is largely responsible for the drop, as Republican dislike and Democratic support of Clinton have held steady.
Multiple polls, including the Washington Post-ABC News, Quinnipiac, Bloomberg News and CNN, have tracked a drop in Clinton’s ratings over the past month, in the high single to low double digits.
The controversy over the attack in Benghazi last fall is likely a factor in Clinton's fall in popularity. She has also left a prestigious Cabinet position, one where she was dealing with international affairs rather than partisan politics, to become a potential presidential candidate.
Despite her decline, in Post polling Clinton remains among the most popular secretaries of state in recent history, matching or exceeding Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright’s popularity and being far more popular than Donald Rumsfeld, Warren Christopher and Alexander Haig. And she is still one of the most popular politicians in the country. But as The Fix wrote last month, the continuing debate over Benghazi could damage her should she choose to run for president in 2016.
