Enlarge By Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images President Obama greets members of the U.S. military and their families as they eat a Christmas Day meal at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. 10 MOST ADMIRED 10 MOST ADMIRED Is admiration a family affair? Three Bushes, two Obamas and two Clintons appear in the lists, which also include politicians, activists, religious figures, royalty and one actor. Most admired man: 1. Barack Obama

2. George W. Bush

3. Bill Clinton

4. Nelson Mandela

5. Bill Gates

6. (tied) Pope Benedict XVI

6. (tied) Billy Graham

8. (tied) Jimmy Carter

8. (tied) Glenn Beck

10. The Dalai Lama Most admired woman 1. Hillary Clinton

2. Sarah Palin

3. Oprah Winfrey

4. Michelle Obama

5. Condoleezza Rice

6. Queen Elizabeth

7. Angelina Jolie

8. Margaret Thatcher

9. (tied) Aung San Suu Kyi

9. (tied) Laura Bush

9. (tied) Barbara Bush Source: USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 1,019 adults taken Dec. 10-12, 2010.

WASHINGTON  His party may have suffered a shellacking in November's elections, but President Obama remains the unchallenged champion on another front: For the third year in a row, he is by far the most-admired man.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton continues an even longer run, ranked in the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll as the most-admired woman for the ninth straight year. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is second, as she was in 2009.

Despite Americans' unhappiness with the nation's politics, politicians dominate both lists. The top 10 men include not only the president but also three living former presidents. Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton take the top three spots.

Among women, nine of the top 11 are connected to politics through public service, political activism or marriage.

"It's all about power," says Richard Slotkin, professor emeritus of American studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. "When we think of importance, we think politically, that's really clear — with religion a close second, though Bill Gates beats out Pope Benedict. It's almost like a register of power."

Not on either top 10 list: a Supreme Court justice, senator or House member, athlete or scientist.

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck edges ahead of the Dalai Lama, who ranks 10th. Gates, a philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, stands just behind South African icon Nelson Mandela and just before Pope Benedict XVI.

Evangelist Billy Graham, tied for sixth, has made the top 10 every year the survey has been taken since 1955.

The top 11 women (three are tied for ninth place) counts four first ladies, including Michelle Obama in fourth place.

Celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie, both of whom pursue charitable causes, are on the list. Three of the women are leaders from abroad: Queen Elizabeth and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain and democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma.

Barack Obama's standing has fallen from the heady days after his election in 2008. That year, he was cited by 32%, a historic rating that trailed only Bush's percentage in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and President Kennedy in 1961.

This year, Obama was named by 22%, and Bush was named by 5%.

Some of the findings reflect a partisan cast. Obama is named by almost half of Democrats but just 6% of Republicans. Bush is the most-admired man among Republicans, cited by 11%. Hillary Clinton is cited by nearly a third of Democrats but just 5% of Republicans. Palin is the most-admired woman among Republicans, at 26%.

Not everyone has a hero. Twenty-five percent declined to name a most-admired man, and 22% didn't name a most-admired woman. About one in 10 chose a friend or relative.

The Dec. 10-12 survey of 1,019 adults has a margin of error of +/–4 percentage points.