The mainstream media has spent a full week throwing everything they have at Sarah Palin. They've hurled sexist insults at her, attacked her family, smeared her with lies and half-truths, and were even speculating that she hadn't been vetted and would be dropped from the ticket.

If you listened to the New York Times, MSNBC, and Company, you'd think Palin was a poor, little redneck bumpkin who was in way over her head. They talked about her like she was going to tear up at any moment and slink away, leaving John McCain to pick a VP who was more acceptable to the press.

Well, guess what? The American people aren't buying it. Courtesy of Rasmussen,

Perhaps most stunning is the fact that Palin's favorable ratings are now a point higher than either man at the top of the Presidential tickets this year. As of Friday morning, Obama and McCain are each viewed favorably by 57% of voters. Biden is viewed favorably by 48%.

There is a strong partisan gap when it comes to perceptions of Palin. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Republicans give her favorable reviews along with 33% of Democrats and 59% of voters not affiliated with either major party.

It's like I tell other conservatives who get terrified the press is going to sink the GOP: yes, they can hurt us, but the reality is that if the mainstream media was the deciding factor, Republicans would never win another election.