Current Polls Not Reflective of First-Time Voters AMES, IA (kuni) - Current polls may not be accurate in predicting the outcome of this year's presidential race, according to political commentators Steffen Schmidt and Arnie Arnesen, speaking on Iowa Public Radio's Talk@12.

"Polls are only good about a couple of days before the general election. National polls are not reliable at all," Schmidt said.

The Obama campaign has been particularly active in registering first-time voters. Current polls may not reflect the effect of those voters on November 4th, Schmidt speculated.

Recent polls show the McCain-Palin ticket leading. Palin has proven popular on the campaign trail.

"[Palin] is getting the American Idol bump," Arnesen said.

Both say it will take some time for the Palin excitement to die down and for voters to begin evaluating her on policy positions.

"What's happened is that people see her as this exiting, unusual, entertaining figure," Schmidt said.

"A lot of politics is about what you feel in your gut and not your brain," he said.

Arnesen says that's why McCain added Palin to the ticket.

"Sarah Palin is all about personality. The reason why John McCain is bringing Sarah Palin everywhere is because that's the only way people will show up," she said. © Copyright 2009, kuni