Washington (CNN) - Most Americans don't agree with Karl Rove's questioning of Hillary Clinton's health and age, according to a new national poll.
And an ABC News/Washington Post survey released Wednesday also indicates that a majority of the public says they'd support Clinton if she makes a second bid for the White House.
The former secretary of state is seriously considering a presidential run in 2016 and says she'll decide by the end of this year. If she launches a campaign, she would instantly become the overwhelming front runner for the Democratic nomination.
According to the poll, two-thirds say they disapprove of Rove's comments, with 26% saying they approve of the Republican strategist's questioning of Clinton.
Earlier this month Rove, who was the top political adviser to President George W. Bush and the mastermind behind Bush's 2000 and 2004 presidential election victories, raised questions about Clinton's health and made headlines with some controversial comments about her 2012 concussion.
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Clinton suffered a blood clot in December 2012 as the result of a fall. After first going to the hospital for testing, Clinton later was admitted for a three-day stay at a hospital in New York.
Rove, a Fox News contributor, earlier this week also raised questions about Clinton's age, describing her as "old and stale." If Clinton, 66, is elected president in 2016, she will be 69 years old, just a few months younger than the nation's oldest elected president: Ronald Reagan. Democrats have charged that questioning Clinton's age is sexist and out of bounds.
The poll indicates an expected partisan divide: Eighty-four percent of Democrats and 64% of independents say they disapprove of Rove's comments, with Republicans divided.
By a 52%-43% margin, registered voters say they would support the former first lady and senator from New York as a candidate for president. Again, there's a wide partisan gap, with 83% of Democrats, 51% of independents and only 26% of Republicans saying they would support Clinton as a White House contender.
The poll also indicates Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, remains popular with the public. Sixty-three percent of those questioned say they have a favorable opinion of the former president, with 32% saying they see him in a negative light. Bill Clinton's favorable ratings have stood in the 60s in most national polling conducted over the past couple of years.
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The ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted May 21-25, with 1,017 adults nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
