Flemington, NJ, September 4, 2008 – Results from a national survey group conducted tonight among 1,000 self-reported Democrats, Republicans and Independents revealed that perceptions of GOP vice presidential pick Governor Sarah Palin improved after viewing her acceptance speech.
 
The study was conducted by HCD Research and the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) to obtain Americans’ perceptions of the speech given by Sarah Palin at the Republican National Convention earlier tonight.

Among the study findings:

After viewing Palin’s speech, a greater number of respondents across all parties believe that selecting Governor Sarah Palin for vice president will help John McCain’s campaign.  Republicans were especially positive about the implications of this pick, nearly three-quarters of whom suggest that this nomination will “definitely help” his campaign.  After viewing the speech, 70% Republicans say they will “definitely” vote for the McCain/Palin ticket after viewing Palin’s speech. 

There is a positive change in how independents anticipate voting in the Presidential election after viewing Palin’s speech, with a 9% increase among independents indicating that they will probably or definitely vote for the McCain/Palin ticket after watching the speech. 

Palin’s speech proved to be equally effective in swaying votes for both men and women.  Among the independents who watched her speech, respondents who report that they will “probably” or “definitely” vote for McCain increased by 10% across both genders, around 38% of female independents and 36% of their male counterparts. 

The participants were asked pre- and post-viewing questions. The participants’ emotions were also measured using the Ayer Emotion Battery. To view detailed results of the study go to: www.mediacurves.com.

The Media Curves web site provides the media and general public with a venue to view Americans’ perceptions of popular and controversial media events and advertisements.
  
Editors/Reporters: For more information on the study, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research or Chris Borick, Ph.D., director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, please contact Vince McGourty, HCD Research, at (908) 483-9121 or (vince.mcgourty@hcdi.net).

HCD Research is a communications research company headquartered in Flemington, NJ.  The company's services include traditional and web-based communications research.  For additional information on HCD Research, access the company’s web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.  Headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, MCIPO is a respected source of public opinion data on local, state and national issues. For additional information on Muhlenberg College, go to www.muhlenberg.edu