She’s hot, and I don’t mean she’s good looking. Sarah Palin’s star has risen, and people like what they see:

A week ago, most Americans had never heard of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Now, following a Vice Presidential acceptance speech viewed live by more than 40 million people, Palin is viewed favorably by 58% of American voters. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% hold an unfavorable view of the self-described hockey mom.

McCain and Obama come in with 57% approval rating. Republicans love her, with 89% giving her a favorable rating. Democrats, not surprisingly, are not as happy. Only 33% give her a good rating.

As for the question, “Does Sarah Palin help John McCain’s campaign,” the answer is clear:

The Palin pick has also improved perceptions of John McCain. A week ago, just before he introduced his running mate, just 42% of Republicans had a Very Favorable opinion of their party’s nominee. That figure jumped to 54% by this Friday morning. Among unaffiliated voters, favorable opinions of McCain have increased by eleven percentage points in a week—from 54% before the Palin announcement to 65% today.

Ed Morrissey writes:

One embarrassing result for Obama comes from a comparison of their experience as a preparation for the Presidency. Obama only beats her by four points overall, only by nine points among women, and trails by three among men. She runs within the margin of error in all college-educated demographics, only trailing significantly among high-school graduates and drop-outs. And of course, she’s not running for President; Obama is. It looks like the attack on Governor Palin’s experience backfired on Obama, and as long as he keeps running against the GOP’s #2, he’ll continue to lose.

Things are looking up for the McCain campaign.