The Palin Pick: By the Numbers

• The indefensible, heavy-handed media-driven attacks on Palin have backfired. Rassmussen polling shows that 51 percent of Americans believe reporters are trying to hurt Palin with their news coverage.
• The attack against her as being inexperienced is not working: 44 percent of Americans believe Palin is more experienced than Obama to be President of the United States
• Palin's favorability ratings stand at 58 percent--surpassing McCain, Obama, and Biden. Palin's counterpart on the Democratic side--Joe Biden--is only viewed favorably by less than half of American voters--48 percent
• Republicans (89 percent) and Independents (52 percent) believe Palin helps McCain. Only 69 percent of Democrats and 45 percent of Independents believe Biden helps Obama

The Polls

• McCain now leads in most of the major polls: He leads Obama in the National Gallup Poll by 3 points (48 to 45 percent)
• McCain leads Obama in the Zogby poll, 50-46 percent
• And the first double-digit lead in the race so far this year: Gallup/USA Today polls shows McCain leading Obama 54-44 percent among likely voters--a 10 point lead and the largest so far this year!
• Survey USA shows McCain leading now on most issues of concern to the American public. The poll data reveals that voters believe McCain has a better plan for Iraq (14 point advantage), a better plan for energy independence (12 points), a better plan for healthcare (1 point advantage) and a better plan for education (5 point advantage). Obama's only lead is on environmental issues (and he only has an 8 point advantage).