GUYS FOR SARAH

Posted at 8:01 p.m. ET

The assumption is that Sarah Palin is attracting throngs of women to the GOP ticket.  It turns out, though, that it may be men who are more attracted.  The New York Daily News reports on some fascinating numbers:

Republican John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate was intended to lure women voters, but it's the guys who are actually getting hooked, new polls show.

One CNN survey this week found that 62% of men have a favorable opinion of Palin - nine points higher than women.

Similarly, 57% of men believe Palin is qualified to be vice president, compared with only 43% among women.

It may be logical:

"I think in some ways Palin does help go after the Hillary voter, but a lot of people confuse that to think it is just women," said John McIntyre, co-founder of RealClear Politics, a Web site that tracks presidential polling.

"It's not just women - it is white, working-class voters in general," said McIntyre. "And I am sure that when the McCain team was looking at the pros and cons, those male Hillary voters were every bit on their mind as women."

Whatever the logic, it's working:

Other polls seem to confirm that Palin's real allure is in her ability to unite the GOP's conservative base, male and female.

One Rasmussen Survey found that 79% of conservatives have a favorable impression of Palin, a figure that drops to 43% among moderates. Likewise, conservatives are twice as likely as moderates to think she is qualified to be President, and five times more likely than liberals.

Finally...

"She's just an amazing woman for the Republican Party," enthused Ted DiBenedetto, 41, of Centreville, Va., at a rally in nearby Fairfax. "She's a hunter, she's a fisherman, she's a reformer, she's got executive experience, and she's run her state national guard.

"I was actually a non-McCain supporter," DiBenedetto said. "When he picked Sarah, that unified the Republican Party."

There is good news here, but there are also warning signs.  Palin's newfound support can be peeled away, especially support in the middle, where elections are won and lost.  The Obama side is now engaged in an all-out attack, and the press will help out.  But Obama has been off his game recently, and his advisers seem baffled by Palin and her appeal.  May their attack turn into surrender.

September 13, 2008.