A week ago, most Americans had never heard of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Now, following a Vice Presidential acceptance speech viewed live by more than 40 million people, Palin is viewed favorably by 58% of American voters. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% hold an unfavorable view of the self-described hockey mom.
The figures include 40% with a Very Favorable opinion of Palin and 18% with a Very Unfavorable view (full demographic crosstabs are available for Premium Members). Before her acceptance speech, Palin was viewed favorably by 52%. A week ago, 67% had never heard of her.
The new data also shows significant increases in the number who say McCain made the right choice and the number who say Palin is ready to be President. Generally, John McCain’s choice of Palin earns slightly better reviews than Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden.
I think his headline is very accurate – it is the new-ness that has most captured attention and generated excitement as Palin and then her family have debuted in the national political arena. I was somewhat aware of her as Governor of Alaska before, and also aware of the birth of Trig and its implications – there was a web-site up about him a couple months ago, that seems to be gone now. Maybe most important is that some are aware that Alaska holds much of the potential for developing US energy independence and soon, and Palin represents the State with that resource.
I think these numbers mainly indicate how much of a spectator culture craving to be entertained and stimulated the American public has become, more than ever as the internet age develops. Not many months ago Obama was a fresh face outshining Hillary’s which, let’s ‘face’ it, has been around for too long in certain contexts. To too great an extent Palin is still just the latest cool thing rather than a proven substantive politician who can deliver at the national level. That can change and hopefully it will, but all these encouraging polls are somewhat based on that [i]hope[/i], aren’t they? Plenty of male, Republican as well as other commentators are still more concerned about the experience issue than they are hopeful about her potential.
I saw Palin speak with McCain this evening at a rally in Sterling Heights, MI. She spoke first and the entire crowd was on its feet cheering the entire time. When McCain spoke about 1/3 were sitting and listening.
She has an electric charism that gets a crowd jazzed up. But can it last 2 months???
Be thankful, we have had over a year of campaigning for President. McCain and Obama have had to make their case for all that time.
Palin only has two months to worry about. I’m sure she can pull it off.
Remember, Billy Clinton made it to the top on schmarm and eccentricity. Sarah has charm and electricity. She is the real deal for a political leader.
Numbers like this will only arouse the Radical Left and the Main Stream Media to even more vicious attacks against her. She’ll have the treatment Bork and Clarence Thomas got plus much more. They understand that she is the greatest danger to them that has come along in a long time. Pray for her.
The great difference between her and both Bork and Thomas is that those affairs, the attacks against them, were brief and then relegated to the obscurity of political history. Though Thomas made it to the bench, that itself took him out of the public limelight. Whoever sees either him or Judge Bork these days, unless you’re a C-SPAN geek like me? Palin will be out center for at least two months and the attacks will be there for all the world to see. It will drag the rest of the nation into the fight and make people who don’t otherwise think much about politics start to takes sides. Plus, if she is elected, her visibility will only increase.
The media left’s attack on her has to be all out. They must destroy her and quickly. And her destruction must be made to seem justified to the majority of Americans.
Chris, agreed. They must destroy her quickly. She deserves and needs our prayers. America needs Sarah.
Our Father, thank you for blessing Sarah Palin with your perfect love and your perfect protection from all evil and harm of all types and from all sources. Thank you Father. Thank you.
I will add Sarah Palin to those I pray for daily. I think the Left will demonize her to a greater extent than they have G.W.Bush, and that’s been pretty unprecidented. White-hot hatred.