Will she or wont she? Sarah Palin has a busy schedule leading up to a major public event in Iowa on September 3, and Republican insider Karl Rove predicts shes about to enter the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. If Election Day was right now, President Obama would defeat the former Alaska governor 50% to 33%, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This marks the first time that the president has risen out of the 40s in hypothetical matchups with any of the major GOP presidential hopefuls. Fifteen percent (15%) prefer some other candidate, and two percent (2%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Last month, Obama posted a 47% to 38% lead over Palin, the GOPs unsuccessful vice presidential candidate in 2008.
Palin earns support from 62% of Republicans, while 88% of Democrats back the president. Voters not affiliated with either party prefer Obama by a 51% to 30% margin.
Obama holds a narrow 44% to 38% lead over Palin among male voters, but women prefer the incumbent by a sizable 56% to 29% margin.
Click for Full Text!