The Sarah Palin pick for running mate about 16 hours after Barack Obama's acceptance speech of the Democratic nomination is a gift John McCain gave to himself that doesn't quit giving, a new Zogby poll shows.

"The McCain pick has probably stunted any Obama-Democratic Convention bump," Mr. Zogby told The Washington Times.

His latest nationwide survey, begun Friday afternoon after the Mr. McCain announced Mrs. Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his running mate and completed mid-afternoon on Saturday, has the race in a statistical dead heat – with the McCain/Palin ticket at 47 percent, and the Obama-Joe Biden ticket at 45 percent.

Mr. Zogby said his interactive online poll shows Mr. Obama and Mrs. McCain "have solidified the support among their own parties."

Mr. Obama won 86 percent of Democrats and Mr. McCain 89 percent of Republicans in a poll question that didn't mention their running mates. With Mr. Biden and Mr. Palin added, the Democratic support remains at 86 percent but Mr. McCain's jumps to 92 percent.

After the McCain vice presidential announcement, Mrs. Palin, the profile, pro-Second Amendment, anti-corruption governor of Alaska, "was almost immediately hailed as a strong conservative by voters who rallied to the GOP ticket our survey shows," Mr. Zogby said.

"Governor Palin is not to be underestimated," he said. "Her strength is that she authenticity. She's a real mom, an outdoors person, small-town mayor. She has dealt with a small town city council, which alone could be preparation for staring down [Russian leader] Vladimir Putin."
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/3...-palin-in-lead/

Is the washingtontimes.com site a joke site?

Is the washingtontimes.com site a joke site? Did I just get punked?

Mr. Zogby said his interactive online poll shows Mr. Obama and Mrs. McCain "have solidified the support among their own parties."

Yeah, online polls are fool proof ... because only a fool would use them as proof.

Looks legit to me.

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews1547.html

Per a new USA Today/Gallup poll, 51% say they have never heard of Sarah Palin
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/200...31/1315071.aspx

Yeah, online polls are fool proof ... because only a fool would use them as proof.

Survey Methodology [Zogby Interactive Likely Voters] 8/29/08 thru 8/30/08

Zogby International conducted an online survey of [2020 Likely Voters].

A sampling of Zogby International's online panel, which is representative of the adult population of the US, was invited to participate. Slight weights were added region, party, age, race, religion, gender, education to more accurately reflect the population. The margin of error is +/- 2.2 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

Are we really supposed to believe that 49% of the American people knew who Sarah Palin was before Friday? 49% don't even know which country is north of the USA

The New York Daily News tracks down Palin's mother in law who is considering voting for Obama. "Sarah Palin's hometown rallied around her as mayor -- now Republicans wonder if the rest of America will warm up to the surprise pick from cold country. Though her mother-in-law has doubts. Faye Palin admitted she enjoys hearing Barack Obama speak, and still hasn't decided which way she'll vote… 'I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket other than she's a woman and a conservative. Well, she's a better speaker than McCain," Faye Palin said with a laugh. "People will say she hasn't been on the national scene long enough. But I believe she's a quick study."

"Governor Palin is not to be underestimated," he said. "Her strength is that she authenticity. She's a real mom, an outdoors person, small-town mayor. She has dealt with a small town city council, which alone could be preparation for staring down [Russian leader] Vladimir Putin."

Is Zogby nuts?

What possible similarity could there be between a small town council ... and Putin with millions of troops and thousands of thermonuclear weapons in his back pocket?

What is America coming to that citizens as supposedly as sophisticated as Zogby can come up with this kind of insane comparison?

Yes Peak it does only it just shows a statistical dead heat. I can only gather from other conversations we've had and that you've had with others that this suits your purpose or at least gives you a sense of satisfaction and with this I just want to ask. Why do you hate America so much? What have you got against our constitution?

For the zillionth time: Polls. Mean. Zip. They are slanted, calculated, culled and spun from a sampling designed to give the pollsters their desired outcome, and even the most reputable are taken from an infinitesimal percentage of a 300, 000, 000 person populace. That We The Peeps have allowed the talking hoodlums to bandy them about as proof of anything other than at best trends among the demographics contacted is our problem, to be sure, but that doesn't make the poll's findings remotely comprehensive or accurate assessments of what We The Peeps think. The tissue that separates the Meedja's Faux-Reality and the Actual One Within Which We All Exist is shredding even as I type these words. Polls. Mean. Zip. Yes. We. Can.

Unless of course the polls support your position.

Nope. I don't buy any of 'em. Hven't since Kinsey. The Census is about as comprehensive as it gets. At best, modern-day push-polls are indicators of among 500, 1,500, 5,000 people, easily slanted and targeted. The pollsters are controlled by a handful of conglomerates. It's the politicos and pundits who use them as though they meant anything, and those among the populace that accept that, that are in trouble. When a poll is taken of 30, 000, or 3, 000, 000 people, then I'll consider the findings representative. In the case of this election, the mere absence of cell phones, Blackberries or computer communication devices renders them automatically under-informed. Not to mention the selectivity of what polls and what parts of the polls are sold to the peeps.

I don't disagree with what you're saying, but polls do influence wishy washy people. If they keep hearing McCain is ahead, they'll think "Hmm...he must be the better choice" and vote for him.

I wish those people didn't exist but they do.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/20..._obama-225.html

I'm not too concerned over one poll.