Palin may have pulled the crowds but voters still unaware what to make of her

Sterling Heights, Mich. Sep 6 : Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin gave him something he rarely sees on the campaign trail: Obama-sized crowds, but voters around the nation are still unsure what to make of McCain's running mate, according to a new ABC News poll.

Half of Americans have a favorable first impression of the moose-hunting Governor of Alaska, compared with 37 percent who view her unfavorably.

Yet when asked if she had the right experience to serve as President, 42 percent said yes while 50 percent said no.

Voters had far fewer qualms about Democrat Barack Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, rating him ready by a 66 percent to 21 percent margin.

McCain has two months to sway voters who are unsure Palin is up to taking over the top job if something happened to him.

In the meantime, the 72-year-old GOP candidate, who isn't used to this kind of excitement, seems to be adjusting happily, the Daily News reported.

"Isn't this the most marvelous running mate in the history of this nation?" he gushed at their first post-convention rally before a crowd of at least7,000 in Cedarburg, a small town north of Milwaukee.

To the theme from "The Natural," Palin bounded off McCain's Straight Talk Express bus, climbed a riser in front of an ice cream parlor and threw haymakers at Obama.

Palin charged Obama had dismissed her as asmall town mayor - a job she held before governor - and it was just fine with her because "we love this country in good times and bad, and we always love America."

She ridiculed Obama's admission that the Iraq troop surge succeeded beyond his "wildest dreams," and called it nice the Illinois senator "finally brought himself around to what all of us have known for a long time."

Palin was a hit in Cedarburg.

ANI