Americans give collective shrug to possible 2016 contenders

With former Sen. Jim Webb’s announcing the formation of an exploratory committee for a possible presidential run, 2016 is officially underway.

And the early attitude among Americans about many of the leading contenders could be described as “meh.” Or, in some cases: Who?

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows that Americans are largely divided in their views on many of the potential candidates, or don’t know much about them. The margin of error for the poll of 1,000 adults taken from Nov. 14-17 is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Here’s where they stand in terms of being viewed positively or negatively, or whether Americans don’t know enough about them to state their feelings.

GOP

- Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican

Positive: 26 percent

Negative: 23 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 25 percent

- Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican

Positive: 21 percent

Negative: 19 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 39 percent

- former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

Positive: 25 percent

Negative: 24 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 22 percent

- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Positive: 29 percent

Negative: 29 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 18 percent

- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

Positive: 26 percent

Negative: 33 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 14 percent

- Texas Gov. Rick Perry

Positive: 20 percent

Negative: 29 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 27 percent

- Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican

Positive: 16 percent

Negative: 26 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 40 percent

- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

Positive: 15 percent

Negative: 14 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 54 percent

- Ohio Gov. John Kasich

Positive: 11 percent

Negative: 10 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 61 percent

- Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson

Positive: 17 percent

Negative: 7 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 58 percent

Democrats

- Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Positive: 43 percent

Negative: 40 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 1 percent

- Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Positive: 35 percent

Negative: 38 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 5 percent

- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat

Positive: 23 percent

Negative: 17 percent

Don’t know/not sure: 39 percent