Attorney General Eric Holder has received a massive boost in public popularity following his call for major changes in the U.S. criminal justice system in regards to the war on drugs.
Declaring that the system is broken in many ways, Holder this week suggested several changes for how federal prosecutors should handle drug cases, which included focusing on the most serious and violent offenders, delegating more cases to state and local courts and forgoing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders in favor of sentences that match the crime.
A survey of 2,000 Americans, conducted by TDC Opinion Research, found that Holder's speech boosted his favorability a whopping 46 percent from 5 percent to 51 percent, surpassing both Congress and President Barack Obama by several points.
The poll found that the Americans surveyed thought Holder's willingness to acknowledge the serious flaws in the justice system and act accordingly meant that "he is not a complete jerk."
Gale Boetticher, a pollster for TDC, said that while the effect of Holder's speech on drug incarcerations may be marginal, the Americans surveyed seemed to appreciate that a federal official was acknowledging what many of them have known all along.
"We found that people have been really disappointed in Holder and Obama's handling of the 40-year drug war, especially since Obama said that he watched The Wire," he said. "People just assumed Holder and Obama had a unique perspective on it that would translate to more effective policies, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"So for Holder to finally say what many people already think and know -- that the drug war isn't working -- is huge, hence his boost in favorability. People told us that they wished more administration officials would speak this candidly and honestly."
Holder's leadership of the Justice Department has been controversial across the political spectrum for reasons including his refusal to prosecute financial firms, for collecting journalists' phone and e-mail records, his comments on race relations and alleged scandals such as Operation Fast & Furious.
Boetticher said the Americans surveyed were still concerned about Holder's failure in other areas, but that his speech had earned him some temporary praise.
"Holder's sudden favorability could fall dramatically if Americans realize it's all talk and no action," he said. "That would be a real jerk move on his part."
