Obama's favorables rise as more see him as a better leader

As we get closer to the election, more voters seem to see Barack Obama as our next president. It's not just the horse race aspect of the polls, but some of the other numbers, which show that the American people are growing more comfortable with that concept.

Two very recent polls provide some good insights. In the NY Times, we learn that voters are liking Obama more. His favorables are increasing while McCain's unfavorables are also rising. Also, for the first time in its polling, Rasmussen finds that more voters views Obama as a "better leader." These are, of course, very subjective, but people vote for president with their guts, too. It's a visceral decision, not always cerebral. This new information says to me that Americans are accepting the idea of Barack Obama will be the next president. They're preparing themselves for our next leader -- and liking what they see.

New York Times:

As voters have gotten to know Senator Barack Obama, they have warmed up to him, with more than half, 53 percent, now saying they have a favorable impression of him and 33 percent saying they have an unfavorable view. But as voters have gotten to know Senator John McCain, they have not warmed, with only 36 percent of voters saying they view him favorably while 45 percent view him unfavorably....

...In contrast, favorable opinion of Mr. McCain remained stable, and unfavorable opinion rose to 45 percent now from 35 percent in September. Mrs. Palin’s negatives are up, to 41 percent now from 29 percent in September.

Mr. Obama’s favorability is the highest for a presidential candidate running for a first term in the last 28 years of Times/CBS polls. Mrs. Palin’s negative rating is the highest for a vice-presidential candidate as measured by The Times and CBS News. Even Dan Quayle, with whom Mrs. Palin is often compared because of her age and inexperience on the national scene, was not viewed as negatively in the 1988 campaign.

Rasmussen:

Forty-eight percent (48%) of voters now say that Obama is a better leader than McCain while 42% hold the opposite view. That’s the first time all year that Obama has held the advantage on this question.