Poll Tracker

As well Joe Biden is known in Washington and the political world, 23 percent of Americans say they never have heard of him and 28 percent don't have an opinion about him, according to an overnight USA Today/Gallup poll. In any event, 7 of 10 Americans say Barack Obama's choice of him won't affect their voting decisions.

Voters believe Biden is qualified to serve as President if that became necessary by a 57 percent to 18 percent margin.

About 3 in 10 of Democrats call the choice "excellent," 36 percent say "pretty good," 16 percent say "only fair' and 6 percent say "poor." Forty-five percent of independents call the choice excellent or and 35 percent rate it fair or poor.

USA Today says Biden's ratings were lower than what John Edwards got in 2004 when John Kerry chose him. We doubt it's much cheer to Biden that they were higher than former Sen. Dan Quayle got when the first President Bush chose him in 1988.