Gov. Sarah Palin - John McCain's choice as Vice-Presidential running mate - made a very positive impression in her debut yesterday, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey. Following her speech in Dayton, Ohio, Americans have a favorable opinon of Palin by a 53%-26% margin. Following Joe Biden's debut as Obama's pick, 43% had a favorable impression of him:

Sarah Palin has made a good first impression. Before being named as John McCain’s running mate, 67% of voters didn’t know enough about the Alaska governor to have an opinion. After her debut in Dayton and a rush of media coverage, a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 53% now have a favorable opinion of Palin while just 26% offer a less flattering assessment.

Palin earns positive reviews from 78% of Republicans, 26% of Democrats and 63% of unaffiliated voters. Obviously, these numbers will be subject to change as voters learn more about her in the coming weeks. Among all voters, 29% have a Very Favorable opinion of Palin while 9% hold a Very Unfavorable view.

By way of comparison, on the day he was selected as Barack Obama’s running mate, Delaware Senator Joseph Biden was viewed favorably by 43% of voters.