2008 Republican National Convention

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The AP is saving me some trouble...

Fact Check: The fuller story in St. Paul

By JIM KUHNHENN – 38 minutes ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — John McCain set a new tone for the Republican National Convention Thursday, with speakers abandoning many of the tough words aimed at Barack Obama that had characterized the previous night. But the picture they painted blurred some facts.

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Some examples:

JOHN MCCAIN (from advance excerpts): "Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."

THE FACTS: It is certainly true that McCain, with two decades in the Senate, has worked in a bipartisan fashion on a number of issues. Legislation that bears his name often carries the name of a Democrat as well. On campaign finance he worked with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.; on immigration with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; on climate change with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. Obama, elected in 2004, has a much slimmer record of accomplishment. He did work with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. Unlike McCain, however, Obama did not put himself at odds with his own party leaders by working with Lugar.

MCCAIN: "We lost their trust when instead of freeing ourselves from a dangerous dependence on foreign oil, both parties and Senator Obama passed another corporate welfare bill for oil companies. We lost their trust, when we valued our power over our principles."

THE FACTS: Obama voted for a 2005 energy bill backed by Bush that included billions in subsidies for oil and natural gas production. McCain opposed the bill on grounds it included billions in unnecessary tax breaks for the oil industry. Obama has said he supported the legislation because it included huge investments in renewable energy. Obama did vote for an amendment to strip the legislation of the tax breaks for the oil and gas industries. When the amendment was defeated, he voted for the overall measure.

U.S. REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN: (Referring to vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin) "We met a woman who, with the bravery that only the mother of five can summon, said 'thanks but no thanks' to the good ole' boy earmarks."

THE FACTS: Palin has cut back on pork-barrel project requests, but in her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. She did reject plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, but only after Congress had cut off funding for it. And she left in place a $27 million federally funded project to build the approach road to the bridge. Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein, a Democrat, said Thursday that Palin first told Ketchikan officials during a campaign stop in 2006 that she supported it. When she became governor, and after the project became the subject of national ridicule, she pulled the state's portion of funding.

SEN. LINDSAY GRAHAM: "Those who predicted failure, voted to cut off funding for our troops, and played politics with our national security will be footnotes in history. There's no doubt about it, we are on the road to victory. ...While Barack Obama expresses appreciation for our troops' service, he refuses to acknowledge their success."

THE FACTS: Obama voted in favor of troop funding in April of last year that included a nonbinding call to pull troops out of Iraq. President Bush vetoed it. Then in May he voted against a subsequent financing bill because the withdrawal language had been removed. The bill, however, passed overwhelmingly. Before his May vote, Obama had voted for every bill that financed the troops since he joined the Senate. On Thursday, in an interview with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, Obama said: "I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated." He did not disavow his opposition to the surge, but said it had "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams." Still, he said he did not believe Iraqis have taken responsibility for their country.
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Source: Associated Press Fact Check
 
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Thursday, Sept. 4 at 11 p.m. ET
Analysis: McCain's Acceptance Speech

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Robert G. Kaiser: Hello again. Hard to believe that we were here just one week ago discussing Sen. Obama's speech. It's been quite a week. I'd like to try to repeat the participatory discussion we had last time by inviting everyone to give their own commentary on Sen. McCain's speech tonight. Please send me two or three cogent sentences summing up your reactions, and I'll post as many of them as I can. Or ask any questions that you have, and I will try to answer them. We'll be here for an hour or so.

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Charles Town, W.Va.: I'm not naive, but how can Sen. McCain cast himself as an agent of change when he himself has been in the Senate a quarter-century? And how can he call stand up to Mitt Romney's call to "throw out the big government liberals and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin" when, as Paul Begala said on CNN Wednesday night: "For eight years George W. Bush has been running the White House; for six of the last eight years, the Republicans have run the House of Representatives; for five of the last eight years, they have run the Senate; and for all of the last eight years, they've run the Supreme Court. ... Seven of the nine justices were appointed by Republicans. That's not a heckuva big liberal government from my perspective. It seems that Sen. McCain is running against his own party as much as anything else, his acceptance speech notwithstanding.

Robert G. Kaiser: This is of course a central question. This speech had some fascinating sections in which McCain seemed to be running against the last eight years, but I wonder how they will be received by the public? Welcome thoughts about that. It isn't easy for McCain to cast himself as the agent of change, yet his oldest friends fervently believe that he can be just that.

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Austin, Texas: A little known fact not brought out about McCain's wartime captivity is that he was broken by torture, confessing for Vietcong propaganda by stating: "I am a black criminal, and I have performed the deeds of an air pirate." During the debates McCain has not used his personal example about why torture does not work. McCain would be my "war hero" if he would stand up to instruct Americans about this abusive and evil crime using his personal example. Did McCain address this important issue connecting his past experience with this present concern that American government officials tortured prisoners detained during our war on terror?

Robert G. Kaiser: You sent this comment before you had heard the speech, which in fact did include a poignant reference to this: "They broke me," he said of the North Vietnamese.

Surely that experience colored McCain's views in the debates on torture. His critics argue that at crucial moments, he went along with the Bush administration's efforts to preserve at least some room for the interrogation methods McCain himself once seemed to consider torture. It's a complicated issue of course.

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Sydney, Australia: How is Sen. McCain going to be inclusive -- as that is only real way to unite?

Robert G. Kaiser: He answered this question several ways tonight. And he has always been willing to work with anyone who will agree with him in Washington, no matter the party. Campaign finance reform was passed because he worked not only with Senator Feingold, the Wisconsin Democrat, and also with reformers in Washington like Fred Wertheimer who were detested by many of McCain's Republican colleagues. But he has been willing to change his position on issues like off-shore drilling and tax cuts when he found himself out of step with Republicans whose support he thought he needed.

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Germantown, Md.: John seemed out of touch with the rest of the convention. He rarely mentioned God, and actually proposed compromise instead of red-meat partisanship. It was a little jaw-dropping, like maybe he hadn't bothered to watch the previous two days.

Robert G. Kaiser: thanks for the comment

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Dallas: When will John McCain move from 30 years in the past to the future? War stories can take him only so far?

Robert G. Kaiser: McCain's personal story is one of the most compelling of any modern politician's. In a completely different way, Obama's story is also compelling. That's one of the reasons this is going to be such an interesting contest.

Those stories are about the past, of course. But the electorate may well be more focused on the future now.

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New York: I have to wonder if anything really changed from McCain's speech -- The Palin pick seems to take a front seat, and the McCain speech that just ended was longer on the past than the future, and we are watching Palin's family on the stage more than McCain's. As a convention it was odd. Do you think this was really a game-changer for the Republicans?

Robert G. Kaiser: You know, what I think is irrelevant. I thought the speech was a B at best; McCain just is not an orator, and this was not a brilliant piece of writing. And the crowd stomped on a lot of McCain's lines.

But I just heard Michael Beschloss say on PBS that it was "the greatest speech" McCain ever gave. I doubt it, but others will have to decide.

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washingtonpost.com: In a More Diverse America, A Mostly White Convention (Post, Sept. 4)

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Bethesda, Md.: I've gotten the impression from this convention with the applause lines of "drill baby drill," talk of kicking the liberals out of Washington while cheering every mention of Bush, etc., that the people in that arena are living in their own bubble on non-reality.

Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks for posting.

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Seattle: So, is the audience still really old and really white? I mean, even my northern state has more hispanic and black people than that...

Robert G. Kaiser: Here's a link to a good story from today's Post on the ethnic makeup of the convention, and the questions it raises about the political map.

It is a remarkably white, middle aged or senior citizen audience. A lot of Americans won't see themselves in that crowd.

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East Lansing, Mich.: Both last night and tonight, TV cameras showed protesters being forcibly removed from the convention floor. I haven't seen any news coverage of it. Who are they, and what are their issues?

Robert G. Kaiser: I'm sure there will be coverage tonight. The shouting of "USA< USA" you heard in the early portion of McCain's speech was the crowd trying to cover up the protesters. Come back to washingtonpost.com for a good story soon.

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Minneapolis: I think McCain did a good job tonight, mentioning just enough policy issues to keep people happy, but not too many. It isn't really the time or place to discuss policy, it was to accept and be grateful for what he has. He acted with respect to the other party and made a commitment to work together for a better cause. I am very excited for the coming weeks to see how everything unfolds. What do you think we should expect for the debates?

Robert G. Kaiser: I think the debates will be very important. I have no crystal ball.

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Robert G. Kaiser: Addendum RE Beschloss above:

Mark Shields is now refuting him sharply--not at all one of McCain's best speeches, he says, also on PBS.

You pays your money...

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Reston, Va.: Every four years we hear the same thing from presidential candidates -- we're gonna change Washington, etc. Yet four out of the past five presidents have been "outsiders." Doesn't that at least suggest we might consider giving an insider who knows the ways of Washington a crack at the big chair?

Robert G. Kaiser: What a provocative idea!

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Stone Mountain, Ga.: McCain was at his best in the personal expression of his experience in Vietnam and his personal evolution of true patriotism. That I believe. His willful misrepresentation of Obama's positions tonight, lack of details in his own policies and his new-found pandering to the social right, however, belie his claim to be a "maverick."

Robert G. Kaiser: Many thanks.

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Arlington, Va.: The executive experience argument has been used against Sen. Obama lately, but doesn't his successful leadership of a multimillion dollar organization, assembled entirely within the past three years that, which was able to enter a competitive market with high barriers to entry, compete with and defeat its opponents -- including one with strong brand identification and millions of loyal supporters-- show what kind of CEO he would be?

Robert G. Kaiser: I made a similar point last week, after Obama's speech. Anyone in politics I know has been impressed by the Obama campaign, one of the very best-run in recent history.

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Oakhurst, Calif.: Will you continue investigating Palin's credentials and political policy/history, or has the media acquiesced to the McCain camp's pressure to stop any further researching?

Robert G. Kaiser: I hope you really don't believe that The Washington Post would be deterred from doing its constitutional duty by "the McCain camp's pressure." I can assure you that it will not.

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Fairfax, Va.: What was your reaction to the extended Sept. 11 footage at the Republican convention? I was sickened by it. How could anyone attempt to politicize Sept. 11 by reopening those wounds? Wouldn't you criticize any media outlet that exploited that much Sept. 11 footage?

Robert G. Kaiser: Several similar questions. It reminded me of Karl Rove's speech to Republicans in early 2002 instructing them to use the 9/11 attacks for political advantage. Not a great moment in my opinion.

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Specifics: Do you think McCain ever will need to give specifics on his policy, or is it best for him to stick to generalizations and rhetoric?

Robert G. Kaiser: I don't think he can or will try to avoid specifics. Indeed, he offered quite a few tonight.

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Demographics: Someone mentioned the demographics of the crowd. I read today that there were only something like 37 blacks out of all the delegates. That whole arena only about 1 percent African American. I also read that the Republican delegates were two-thirds men, while the Democrats had a slight majority women. I think it shows the inclusiveness (or lack thereof) of the two sides.

Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks. See above. I think it was 36, but you could be right!

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Santa Barbara, Calif.: Mr. Kaiser: Your first thoughts on hearing that a Georgia congressman described Sen. Obama as "uppity"?

Robert G. Kaiser: I saw that earlier. You know, everyone in the media is having a difficult time dealing with race in this election year. But we all know, do we not, that with the first serious black candidate for president in American history, and with our tortured racial history, race is certain to be at play here for the next two months, and far beyond. The Congressman at least reminded us that we kid ourselves if we avoid the matter ourselves.

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The meaning of the backdrop: I might be reading too much into it, but you probably noticed that the backdrop used to superimpose video behind McCain to be seen by the crowd turned into either a plain blue or green background behind him on TV. Maybe that was a glitch, but I think it wasn't. That leads me to believe that the real focus of McCain and his campaign was the faithful on hand, to drive up their enthusiasm -- as compared to Obama, whose set last week was much different on TV (looking like the West Wing) than in person. Obama was reaching out to the wider audience; McCain is trying to fire up the base.

Robert G. Kaiser: I disagree. 30-40 million people were watching; it would be really dumb to think the crowd in the hall was more important than that huge audience. I'm quite sure the McCain camp was aiming at the broader country.

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Fort Myers, Fla.: Will McCain's contradictory narrative -- I want to move past partisanship by bringing Palin along for the ride -- fly?

Robert G. Kaiser: I don't know. I do believe the questions about Palin will be with us throughout the campaign. I know of no examples of a relative amateur walking onto the stage of presidential politics and performing in an error-free fashion for two months.And I know countless examples of real pros screwing up under pressure.

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St. Paul, Minn.: You can't work to eviscerate your opponent on one night and then brag about your ability to work across party lines the next. That's not being a maverick; that's trying to be all things to all people.

Robert G. Kaiser: thanks.

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Broomall, Pa.: I'd be interested to hear what Republicans think would happen if McCain wins. There is about zero chance that the House or Senate will flip, and a good chance that the Democrats' majorities will increase. If the mood in the country is for "change," wouldn't a McCain presidency produce change-stopping gridlock?

Robert G. Kaiser: Of course it is impossible to predict. If the Democrats lose the White House this year, they will be in a terrible funk, I suspect.

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Minneapolis: Wow. Well, I liked the speech, but it came too late for me. It's clearly an attempt to reach out to the independents and set a new tone for the general election to pivot toward the center, but yesterday was so rabidly geared toward the Republican base that it just felt forced to me. I don't believe it. CNN commentators just said that the convention united the Republican Party. Well, I'm a moderate Republican and I don't feel united. I think he saved the base for himself in the past few days, but I don't believe what he said today compared to the rest of the week, which has been so focused on the social conservatives and what I would term the "religious right" that has taken over what used to be my party.

Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks.

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Adrian, Mich.: Has anyone in the press talked with either of the Alaska senators about what they think of Palin and their fellow Republicans railing against them as examples of how government is corrupt and needs to change?

Robert G. Kaiser: So far the Alaskans have remained mum. That can't continue for long.

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Biloxi, Miss.: I missed a good portion of McCain's speech. Quite honestly, I was a bit unimpressed by some of the content last night by Palin against community work. They were focused on the military and the great work they do -- and that is fantastic work that they do. When I did tune in he again was speaking about the military. With their focus on the military, what impact will this have on his position on the Patriot Act and its impacts on our civil liberties? The speeches did not make me feel safe, but rather, threatened. Keep in mind I did not hear all of McCain's speech.

Robert G. Kaiser: I suggest you read or watch the whole speech.

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Baltimore: So, I noticed McCain wasn't wearing a flag pin tonight. I'm guessing that the right won't make a big deal of this like they did with Obama a year ago.

Robert G. Kaiser: McCain doesn't routinely wear a flag pin. Never has.

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Ames, Iowa: I continue to fail to see how being a soldier means the ability to lead an army, which in turn means the ability to be president. Why is this always the line of thought? It was for Kerry as much as for McCain, and both times it seems to very narrowly construct the position of the president.

Robert G. Kaiser: Boy do I agree with you. Being a soldier has no connection I know of to being a good president.

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Lismore, New South Wales, Australia: Was it a mistake on the behalf of Republican strategists to allow the climax of the two conventions to be the McCain speech?

Robert G. Kaiser: They had no choice in the matter. I do wonder what independent voters who watched both Obama and McCain would say about the two. They were very, very different.

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Philadelphia: Former McCain fan here. Really poorly produced video to begin -- he deserved better. The first three-quarters of the speech were unconvincing -- to himself. That part was incoherent and he knew it. The biography and the finale were inspiring, but not in a "vote for him" way but in a "thank you" way. I'll add that with a theme of "country first," the speech was gratuitously about him. I blame Salter for that. He needed to be less direct about himself, and more inspiring about what we face together. I think Obama's speech was far, far more collective and self-effacing. Someone should analyze it.

Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks for this. Clearly, a decision was made that the convention would tell and retell McCain's prisoner-of-war story. Did they overdo it? I can't answer.

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Santa Barbara, Calif.: Uh, Sen. McCain does know that his party has had the control of the White House for the past eight years, and the Congress for six of those eight years? Just wanted to make sure, in light of his repeated sweeping statements about changing the Washington establishment. A senator for 30 years, he himself is the establishment to most of us non-Washington insiders!

Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks. Here's a link to a story of mine that ran in Monday's Post about McCain's Bush problem. He is running for the third consecutive Republican term; history, as my story explains, shows how hard this will be. He would much prefer to run as a challenger, I suspect--it suits his personality. So tonight he tried to cast himself as an insurgent. Can he pull that off?

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Whereas with Obama's speech, the historic feel of the moment evoked Kennedy, with McCain, even given his quite evident sincerity and decency, all I could think was Dole.

Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks.

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washingtonpost.com: The Friend He Just Can't Shake (Post, Sept. 1)

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Fargo, N.D.: Last week you used this forum to laud Obama. This week, all you are posting are criticisms of McCain. Couldn't The Post have found someone who at least could pretend to be objective for a moderator?

Robert G. Kaiser: Hey, my job is to do my best to evaluate these speeches. I'm not here to support anyone, but rather to help people understand what this old reporter thinks happened, in Denver and in St. Paul. My view is no more authoritative than anyone else's. Please ignore it if it doesn't help you.

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"St. Paul, Minn.: You can't work to eviscerate your opponent on one night and then brag about your ability to work across party lines the next. That's not being a maverick; that's trying to be all things to all people.": Wait, is St. Paul, Minn. talking about Denver? The biases of the liberals and conservatives consistently amazes independents like me.

Robert G. Kaiser: thanks for this.

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London: I understood that it was the received wisdom that vice-presidential candidates had little effect on the result of the general election, with Lyndon Johnson being the exception in that he "delivered" his state. Is Sarah Palin going to change this law by being important in her own right, or were Sen. McCain's references to her just for the convention audience?

Robert G. Kaiser: I don't think she can become more important this year than McCain, but as the commentators on TV are pointing out right now, she was the big star of this convention.

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Washington: The POW section was very effective, but was anyone still watching? Overall the speech was terrible -- he is not a good speaker. Question: McCain said he wants to get rid of unemployment insurance. And replace it with what?

Robert G. Kaiser: thanks.

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Independent voter: I think Obama's speech talked about what he would do and the future. McCain's speech talked about who he was and the past. From an independent standpoint, Obama was much more impactful. I also feel that the past two days of very harsh partisan attacks may energize the Republican base, but might lose the center.

Robert G. Kaiser: and thank you.

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One-term McCain?: Thank you for taking questions. My question is about last nigh. I believe it was the governor of Hawaii who kept asserting that if McCain is "elected in 2013, we'll have" such and such. She must have repeated that year at least three times. Is the GOP/McCain trying to telegraph that he'll only serve one term? I've seen no reporting on these specific comments.

Robert G. Kaiser: Sorry I missed the Hawaiian, however you spell that. There were several members of the punditocracy who urged McCain to use this speech to announce that he would be a one-term president, as a way to prove that he wants to be a bipartisan unifier, and also to defuse questions about his age. He obviously rejected that advice. I don't think it's plausible to think he has a secret plan to quit after four years, do you?
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Source: Washington Post
 
I guess peace protests don't apply to these people when Republicans are involved. Then, it's time to be unpeaceful.
 
cpawfan said:
I was underwhelmed

w/out his capture and torture, he would have nothing to talk about
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I was surprised he was as explicit as he was in calling out the Republicans and admitting they'd lost their way. He's got a lot to talk about, actually, on the things his party got wrong and he got right, but that obviously wasn't the time and place. I do think, however, he made a pretty straightforward case for the big things his party and he in particular gets right and the other guys don't.

I came away with that impression, but I thought Bainbridge commented well on the same idea:

If McCain can yank the party back to its core principles, he will have done the movement a vast service.

This was probably the wrong time for McCain to throw Bush under the bus. Most of the people in the auditorium likely are among the last Americans with a positive view of ol’ Shrub. During the debates, however, I think it would behoove McCain to explain precisely where he differs from Bush. Bush was wrong about torture, McCain was right. Bush was wrong about the need for more troops, McCain was right. Bush was wrong about global warming and energy policy, McCain was right. McCain needs to make clear that the Democrats are wrong when they claim McCain/Palin would be Bush/Cheney III.
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and

John McCain’s probably the fourth best public speaker of the major party POTUS and VPOTUS candidates. (Although, unlike Biden, at least McCain doesn’t plagarize.) But he’s believeable and genuine. I think he did what he had to do, which was to look Presidential while clearly identifying the major policy issues that separate the two parties.
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The biggest issues there being no one in their right mind believes a Dem will build a nuclear plant, and no one in their right mind should think significant tax hikes (as proposed by the Dems) are gonna be good for the economy.

There's a more detailed breakdown at the link.
 
I was glad he called out Republicans. They're going to vote for him anyway since Palin is on the ticket, and it weakens the Democrats' case that McCain is a third Bush term.
 
TV VIEWERS FOR PALIN, 10 PM ET

FOXNEWS 9,038,000
NBC 7,720,000
CNN 6,114,000
ABC 5,050,000
CBS 4,630,000
MSNBC 3,277,000

Per Drudge.
 
Real said:
TV VIEWERS FOR PALIN, 10 PM ET

FOXNEWS 9,038,000
NBC 7,720,000
CNN 6,114,000
ABC 5,050,000
CBS 4,630,000
MSNBC 3,277,000

Per Drudge.
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Fox always wipes the ratings clean, I estimate that would be due to the fact that Liberal voters have more options/channels.

I even watch Fox for 30-40% of my News coverage.
 
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The_new_VP.jpg


USA USA USA
 
That's photoshopped FWIW.
 
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Black Mamba said:
I'm with Cpaw, without the war story, that speech would've been nothing.
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Without the war story he wouldn't ever have made it this far in politics. Not even close.
 
I watched the POTUS nomination acceptance speeches and its pretty stunning how different the two men are. Its not often you have a choice in politics, let alone a dramatic one. It also seems like both candidates have risen to the top by their own merits which is more than it seems like you can say for stiffs like Kerry or Romney. Romney's speech from the convention reminded me of every Republican/conservative caricature down to the plastic haircut.

Both candidates are running on the concept of change, which is probably cliché at this point but it is a necessity after a disastrous Bush double-term. Bush was perceived to be a Washington outsider when he was elected but kowtowed to political villains and lost whatever semblance of independence he once had. I fear that McCain's intense yearning to be President will lead him down similar paths, and if that sounds like a line from Star Wars, so be it. I hope once he gets to be President that deals he made to get votes and support don't force his hand--as much as he seems like he is a "maverick" he also seems like a man of his word.

(Did anyone notice that CNN cut to a shot of a guy holding up a sign that said "The Mavrick" (sic) directly after McCain implored Americans to help instruct illiterate adults? Kudos.)<o></o>
 
Run BJM said:
Without the war story he wouldn't ever have made it this far in politics. Not even close.
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Is there any better qualification for someone running for President of the United States? The man sat an extra 4 years in Hanoi because he wouldn't leave early. What does that say about his commitment to his country and fellow servicemen if he wouldn't leave hell early simply because he would have to return to his country dishonored?

On a side note...Code Pink are hippy faggots and someone needs to tell them to piss off.
 
RipCity said:
Is there any better qualification for someone running for President of the United States? The man sat an extra 4 years in Hanoi because he wouldn't leave early. What does that say about his commitment to his country and fellow servicemen if he wouldn't leave hell early simply because he would have to return to his country dishonored?

On a side note...Code Pink are hippy faggots and someone needs to tell them to piss off.
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Calm the hell down man.
 
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/pub...fresh_face_now_more_popular_than_obama_mccain

Palin Power: Fresh Face Now More Popular Than Obama, McCain

Friday, September 05, 2008

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 crosstabsare 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.

Perhaps most stunning is the fact that Palin’s favorable ratings are now a point higher than either man at the top of the Presidential tickets this year. As of Friday morning, Obama and McCain are each viewed favorably by 57% of voters. Biden is viewed favorably by 48%.

There is a strong partisan gap when it comes to perceptions of Palin. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Republicans give her favorable reviews along with 33% of Democrats and 59% of voters not affiliated with either major party.
She earns positive reviews from 65% of men and 52% of women. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Pollshows that Obama continues to lead McCain among women voters while McCain leads among men. The Friday morning update—the first to include interviews conducted after Palin’s speech--showed the beginning of a Republican convention bounce that may match Obama’s bouncefrom last week.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans believe that most reporters are trying to hurt Palin’s campaign,a fact that may enhance her own ratings.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? Sign up now. If it's in the news, it's in our polls. Get our daily update and we’ll let you know what voters really think.)

The Palin pick has also improved perceptions of John McCain. A week ago, just before he introduced his running mate, just 42% of Republicans had a Very Favorable opinion of their party’s nominee. That figure jumped to 54% by this Friday morning. Among unaffiliated voters, favorable opinions of McCain have increased by eleven percentage points in a week—from 54% before the Palin announcement to 65% today.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of all voters now believe that McCain made the right choice when he picked Palin to be his running mate while 32% disagree. By way of comparison, on the night after Biden gave his acceptance speech, 47% said that Obama made the right choice.

Eighty-one percent (81%) of Republicans say that McCain made the right choice while just 69% of Democrats said the same about Obama.

Among unaffiliated voters, 52% said that McCain made the right choice for his running mate and 45% said the same about Obama.

Forty percent (40%) now say that Palin is ready to be President, if necessary. That’s up from 29% last week. Forty-nine percent (49%) say the same about Biden.

However, following the Wednesday night speech, voters are fairly evenly divided as to whether Palin or Obama has the better experience to be President. Forty-four percent (44%) of voters say Palin has the better experience while 48% say Obama has the edge. Among unaffiliated voters, 45% say Obama has better experience while 42% say Palin.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters say that Palin’s speech helped McCain’s chances of becoming President while only 10% believe it hurt those prospects.

While Palin’s numbers are stunning today, it remains to be seen how the Alaska Governor’s numbers will hold up through the next two months. She has made a tremendous first impression, but the country will get to know her a lot better between now and November.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update(it’s free)… let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.
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I caught part of Mitt's speech. He was railing against the eastern establishment. He was Gov of Mass and is a major player in a Venture Capital firm. I'd say he is part of the eatern establishment.

Did St Rudy of 9/11 take a couple of hits of Nitrous before his speech?
 
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