Dave Weigel from Reason writes in:

Jonah,
The big story in the Pelosi numbers, which Rasmussen puts up front but
the bloggers (so far) have not, is Pelosi’s popularity bounce. Right
before the election Rasmussen polled and found Pelosi’s favorable number
tied with Dennis Hastert’s at 24. 40 percent didn’t have a favorable
opinion. So her rise to 43 favorable/39 unfavorable represents a
20-point surge in popularity since the election.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Political Tracking/Favorables/NancyPelosi.htm
What this means, basically, is that in the absence of campaign ads about
“liberal Nancy Pelosi and her San Francisco values,” voters have heard
and seen nothing but soft focus video of the “first female Speaker,” and
so far they like her. That photo op of her letting the children of the
world touch the gavel looked to you or me like a bad Michael Jackson
video, but it looked to voters like a feel-good watershed moment.
It would not be a good thing for “Bush is more popular than Pelosi!” to
become conventional wisdom on the right… unless we think “Foley won’t
matter!” and “Bush’s Iraq speeches are working!” and “voters will
abandon the Democrats because of Kerry’s joke!” were good for our team.
Let’s be realistic, I’m saying.
have a good weekend,
Dave