Palin Poll: 4 In 10 Say She's Experienced Enough

WASHINGTON — Just four in 10 say Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has enough experience to be president, while nearly two-thirds say so about Joe Biden, her Democratic counterpart, a poll showed Friday.

Views of Palin largely reflect partisan loyalty and show she's having little initial impact on which presidential ticket people support, the ABC News survey showed.

Eight in 10 Republicans and more than four in 10 independents say they have more confidence in Republican presidential nominee John McCain's decision-making for his selection of Palin. Six in 10 Democrats say it reduces theirs.

More have a favorable than unfavorable view of Palin by 50 percent to 37 percent _ a bit less than the 54 percent to 30 percent positive opinion they have of Biden. Palin is seen favorably by 85 percent of Republicans, 24 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of independents.

By just 6 percentage points, people say her choice makes them likelier to vote for than against the McCain ticket. Pivotal GOP voting blocs _ conservatives, Republicans and white evangelicals _ are all likelier to support than oppose McCain because of Palin by 32 points or more.

Biden makes people likelier to support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama by 12 points. Most say neither vice presidential pick will make a difference.

Seven in 10 say the pregnancy of Palin's unmarried teenage daughter doesn't affect their view of Palin. By 2-to-1 most say the mother of five _ including an infant with Down syndrome _ made the right choice to become McCain's running mate.

Women and men back Palin's choice to run about equally. Republicans and independents are far likelier than Democrats to support her decision.

Four in 10 say Palin's choice to have her youngest child after a diagnosis of Down syndrome makes them feel more favorably about her, while just over half say it had no impact.

The poll was conducted Thursday and involved telephone interviews with 505 adults. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Comments

[tomptad08]

She not Obama who has no experience in this area she has a posible 8 years to be trained she will do good when it time to be. Least with the VP roll it's not as important as as President. I am up for a real change, how about you?

[TheFirst]

She has the experience in saying and doing the wrong things...

http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/alaskans-speak-in-a-frightened-whisper-palin-is-%e2%80%9cracist-sexist-vindictive-and-mean%e2%80%9d/

[piper1233]

independent like Joe Lie berman

[pearbrandy]

How about dumping her down syndrome baby to be a VP candidate? What do people think that says about her.

She's clearly an excellent parent - as her teenage daughter's pregnancy attests.

[tomptad08]

Why doesn't say anything about a man who does the same thing, why are we all down on her why don't gave her a chance. How amany of Amercains mothers are in the same boat, with a pregrant daughter?

[IslandGyal]

Please advise STUDENTS living on campus to vote absentee ballot in their home state IF this is going to be a problem for them in their school's home state!!

People PLEASE register to vote before October 3rd. If possible request an absentee ballot and vote EARLY. I am not taking any chances with the republicans this year; they like to disenfranchise voters, especially minorities.

So, if you don't have to deal with them on November 4th - do NOT!

In Maryland you can request an absentee ballot. The deadline is October 28. PLEASE, vote and vote early!

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/2007_English_InternetVRA.pdf

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/2008_Absentee_Ballot_Application.pdf


Please pass along similar information about your state, thanks.

“The Truth is Irrelevant – McCain/Palin 08”

[Whorror]

At least 40% look at all the idiots on the Site!

[Tommygun264]

So 40% of our country is infested with idiots? I refuse to believe it.

[IslandGyal]

Tommy,
It's higher than that; more voted for booooosh in 2004!

[BCubedReg]

Actually, it's at least 49%... That's the percentage of the American population that voted for Bush... twice!

Never underestimate the power and numbers of stupid people in this country.

[jmbates]

If 40% of America is stupid beyond cure (I would have thought more!), normal campaigning won't do anything (hence a Rove). Therefore, either Axelrod/Plouffe better be real geniuses beyond our ken, or we need to get into the ditches where those 40% are. But, Lord, to do what?

[catinca]

Has middle America lost it's mind????

[piper1233]

McCain believes that she is so unexperienced, that he cannot allow he to Campaign for the ticket by herself. He is also planning on hiding her in Alaska and let her out only for a couple of scripted debates.

[Bitsko]

Did you say debates? She's a goner.

[2aT]

For someone who states that “it’s not about me, it’s about the country,” McCain sure did spend a lot of talking about himself. I’m really tired of hearing the same old story, it’s old news. There were many veterans who endured and some who didn’t and I’d really like to hear more about their stories instead of McCain for the umpteenth time. Or maybe more about the issues that our country is facing and how we start to find solutions to our problems. What do you think?

[2aT]

Just heard Palin was the "star" of the convention. Wow, does that tell it like it is. Julia Roberts or any other actress could have given the same speech and would have been lauded by the crowd' but that does not qualify them for VP or to step up to the Presidency of the U.S. Give me a break!!!

[2aT]

Do we really need two hot-headed mavericks in the White House???? What happens when they oppose each other's opinions and then choose to ignore each other??? Doesn't sound like a happy marriage to me!!!! We don't need the "Bickersons" in the White House. We need educated leaders with sound judgement and dignity in the White House.

[2aT]

Recall "The Emperor has no clothes?"
That's what I think of when so many claim that Sarah Palin is a great VP pick. I hear claims that she is the governor of the big state of AK. AK's population is approximately 650,000. The cities of Memphis; Austin, Columbus, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Fla.; Detroit, San Jose, Dallas, San Diego, San Antonio, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York all have a larger population than Alaska. As far as her city council and mayoral experience in the town of Wasilla, AK (population of approx. 5,500); it was a part-time job experience. What was John McCain thinking? Even she told the press that she didn't think she had a chance of being picked.

[IslandGyal]

Well the hypocritical "genius" rove said of Gov. Kaine, that he being the Mayor of Richmond, pop. Approx 200,000 and the 105th largest city in the US, Lieutenant Gov of Virginia and current Gov. of Virginia, pop. Approx 7,642,884, for 3 years (longer than Palin) was NOT enough to qualify him to be a good VP choice.

[CTmom13]

http://www.palintruth.org/

She what LIES Palin has told already

[Bitsko]

Thanks. I see that Joe Vogler, founder of the AIP once said, "The fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American Government, and I won't be buried under their damned flag!"

Hey, that's exactly how I feel about the Bush Administration!

[SDindependent]

I like the way republicans are all of a sudden enthralled with executive experience......

GW Bush, McCains mentor has much more executive experience than Palin. He was the governor of a state with 23 million people vs Palin a state with 680,000 people, no state income tax, no sales tax...fully funded by oil revenues.

Your experienced republican President is about to add 5 trillion in unfunded liabilities to the taxpayer....who benefits, the executives of Fanni Mae and Freddie Mac, they will still get their golden parachutes, even though their vast executive experience has put the two largest mortgage institutions in the can... they now want the very people they foreclose on to pony up tax dollars to save them. Five trillion dollars, that will bring the debt to about 57 trillion dollars, short-term and unfunded liabilities. We need change, it was going the other way under the last democratic administration

I will take intelligence, and a President with genuine concern for the middle class over your elitist executives and oil mavens.

Bush-McCain and Palin are just 4 more years of failed policies.

[MM216]

I think you might want to say I like the way republicans are all of a sudden enthralled with executive INexperience", LOL

Obama's inexperience= Terrible (to the GOP)
Palin's inexperience= Great....PTA/hockey mom, mother of 5, mayor of a small town, LESS than 2 years as gov. of Alaska.

Heck, Obama probably dealt with more people and responsibility in the South Side of Chicago than Palin did in her town...and probably as gov. of Alaska!