RATING THE RUNNING MATES RATING THE RUNNING MATES Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of... Favorable Un-

favorable Never heard of No opinion Sarah

Palin 22 7 51 20 Joe

Biden 34 15 23 28 Based on what you know, do you think he/she is qualified to serve as president if it becomes necessary? Yes,

qualified No,

not No

opinion Sarah

Palin 39 33 29 Joe

Biden 57 18 26 Source: Source: USA TODAY/Gallup Polls taken Aug. 23 on Biden and Aug. 29 on Palin; margins of error +/- 4 percentage points CREATE A SCENARIO FOR 2008 CREATE A SCENARIO FOR 2008 USA TODAY's interactive electoral vote tracker lets you build election scenarios, share them with friends and study past election outcomes. PALIN BIOGRAPHY PALIN BIOGRAPHY Name: Sarah Heath Palin. Age: 44; born Feb. 11, 1964; Sandpoint, Idaho. Experience: Alaska governor since December 2006; unsuccessful run for Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2002; chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 2003-2004; served two terms as Wasilla mayor and two terms on city council. Education: Graduated University of Idaho, 1987, journalism. Family: Husband, Todd; five children. Business: Worked as sports reporter for two Anchorage television stations; owned with her husband a snowmobile, watercraft, ATV business from 1994-97. Husband is a North Slope oil field worker. Source: Associated Press. ST. PAUL  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin faces a getting-to-know-you process as the Republican vice presidential candidate, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds: Most Americans say they've never heard of her. There is also wide uncertainty about whether she's qualified to be president. In the poll, taken Friday, 39% say she is ready to serve as president if needed, 33% say she isn't, and 29% have no opinion. YOU VOTE: Is Palin a good choice? That's the lowest vote of confidence in a running mate since the elder George Bush chose then-Indiana senator Dan Quayle to join his ticket in 1988. In comparison, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden was seen as qualified by 57%-18% after Democrat Barack Obama chose him as a running mate last week. "Americans are just beginning to discover that Gov. Palin is an experienced executive who has held office since 1992 and demonstrated time and again her willingness to roll up her sleeves and taken action," says Maria Comella, Palin's spokeswoman for the campaign. "As governor, she has proven to be a real reformer, bucking the establishment to enact sweeping ethics reform, utilize her veto power to cut spending and stand up to big oil to enact legislation to develop Alaska's energy resources." The campaign will use Palin's speech Wednesday before the Republican National Convention here to introduce her to voters as a fresh face who reinforces John McCain's image as an independent-minded reformer. The Arizona senator announced at a campaign rally in Dayton on Friday that he had chosen Palin, 44, a first-term governor and former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. REACTIONS: USA TODAY readers respond ANALYSIS: McCain gambles on surprise pick Whatever their views on their qualifications, voters say neither Palin nor Biden will have much impact on their vote. Two of three registered voters, 67%, say putting Palin on the ticket won't affect their vote; 72% say that of Biden. Of those who say the running mates will make a difference, 18% say Palin makes them more likely to vote for McCain, 11% less likely. That net-positive impact of 7 points is similar to Biden's: 14% said his pick made them more likely to vote for Obama, 7% less likely. The telephone survey of 898 registered voters, taken Friday, has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points. The full sample of 1,016 adults has an error margin of +/- 3 points. Among the findings: • Twenty-two percent of registered voters have a favorable view of Palin and 7% an unfavorable one, while 51% say they have never heard of her and 20% have no opinion. • Forty-six percent rate McCain's choice of Palin as excellent or "pretty good," while 37% say it is "only fair" or poor. Over the past two decades, only Quayle received lower ratings after being picked for a ticket. • Women overall have a slightly less favorable view of Palin than men, but they also are a bit more likely more likely to say her choice would prompt them to vote for McCain. Among women, 20% say her pick makes them more likely to vote for McCain, 11% less likely. That compares with 16%-12% among men. Among Democratic women — including those who may be disappointed that New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton did not win the Democratic nomination — 9% say Palin makes them more likely to support McCain, 15% less likely. The sample of 274 Democratic women has an error margin of +/- 6 percentage points. The USA TODAY survey also finds that Americans give Obama's dramatic acceptance speech high marks but say the Democratic National Convention has no more impact on their vote than past conventions. Among all those surveyed, 35% call Obama's speech at Invesco Field on Thursday night excellent, 23% good, 15% "just OK," 3% poor and 4% "terrible." Sixteen percent say they didn't see it, and 14% have no opinion. That's higher than the ratings for acceptance speeches by President Bush and Democrat John Kerry in 2004, by Bush and Democrat Al Gore in 2000 and by Republican Bob Dole in 1996. Asked about the Democratic convention's impact, 43% say it makes them more likely to vote for Obama, 29% less likely. Nineteen percent say it won't make a difference. That's similar to the impact of conventions since 1984, with the exception of 1992. In that year, the decision of independent Ross Perot to pull out of the race during the Democratic convention contributed to a big boost for Bill Clinton. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more